Lifespark Medical Group: Triage Nurse (RN)

Position Summary

The Triage Nurse is primarily responsible for gathering clinical information over the phone and directing healthcare services. The Triage Nurse uses Lifespark’s clinical guidelines as well as internal processes and/or procedures to meet the needs of Lifespark Medical Group members and Lifespark Senior Living residents. The Triage Nurse must possess and use good clinical judgement, careful listening, critical thinking, and escalate to appropriate personnel as needed.

Position Functions and Responsibilities

• Gather pertinent clinical information problem based on conversation with community caregiver
• Uses clinical judgment, knowledge and experience to direct conversation and guide decision-making to give self-care advice, refer resident to provider, make an appointment, instruct resident contact emergency assistance, or dispatch appropriate community resource.
• Provides member/resident care as defined in the State Nurse Practice Act.
• Caregiver in meeting nursing and related needs.
• Provides health care instructions as appropriate per assessment and plan of care.
• Provides education when appropriate.
• Reassures the rapid and effective transmission of resident data between all relevant parties.
• Promotes evidence-based practice.
• Establishes and maintains strong collaborative arrangements with other health care professionals.
• Participates in admission avoidance activities dispatching community resources as needed to prevent rehospitalizations.
• Complete onboarding, orientation and annual mandatory training.
• Ensure positive/professional communication on team.
• Customer service resolution; escalate concerns.
• Prepares clinical notes and updates primary provider when necessary.
• Communicates with provider regarding the resident needs and reports any changes in the resident condition; obtains/receives orders as required.
• Communicates with community health related persons to coordinate the care plan.
• Extremely skilled at listening and interpreting subtle indications such as tone of voice, hesitations or incomplete responses.
• Inspires others and encourage them to seek advice and solutions to problems.
• Challenges others to take an active part in developing knowledge, ideas and work practice.
• Challenges tradition and accepts joint responsibility for any arising problems and tensions and uses these to inform future practice.
• Makes effective use of appropriate learning opportunities for themselves and others and applies learning to practice.
• Honors Resident Confidentiality, Rights, Privacy, and Reporting Maltreatment Expectations.
• Understands and Accepts Residents’ Diagnosis.
• Understands and accepts emotional needs of resident.
• Accepts unique resident symptoms and behaviors.
• Understanding of Confidentiality & Data Protection Act.
• Adheres to Emergency Procedure and Response Expectations.
• Identifies safety issues and notifies appropriate community resource.
• Demonstrates, and can educate on proper procedures: handling, lifting, transfers.
• Escalates employee work injury per protocol.
• Overview of Process, Types of Reports and Forms
• Follow-up Required – Escalating Event
• Can manage safety concerns for residents and clinicians, escalating when appropriate

Qualifications

Education

• Degree in Nursing from an accredited program.
• Must be a Registered Nurse
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Current licensure to practice discipline in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, or willingness to obtain upon hire.

Experience

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Senior Living and/or home and community based senior services.
• Minimum of 1-2 years of triage experience
• Experience teaching, training clinical staff.

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Participates in on-call program rotation, as needed
• Participates in weekend coverage rotation, as needed
• Strong phone skills

• Aging process and related care issues
• Advanced care planning
• Person-centered care planning
• Caregiver education
• Community resources
• Creativity and ability to solve problems
• Ability to create trusted relationships with community team members
• Proficient with technology and relevant applications: Microsoft Office, Smart Phone, Calendaring, Clinical Software platforms (EMR), Wi-Fi, Printers, and Internet Browsing
• Strong written and oral communication skills

Key Competencies

• Teams:  skilled at co