Registered Nurse (RN) - Triage- Family Medicine

JOB SUMMARY:

The primary purpose of this position is to work collaboratively as an active member of the interdisciplinary team to provide patient-centered care across the continuum via telephone triage. This is a metric-driven role with inbound and outbound handled call volume expectations. In this role, the goals include providing excellent patient experience, high-quality outcomes, and improved productivity for the team while upholding the MAHEC mission.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Participates in phone triage for family medicine patients across the care continuum 
• Utilizes Clear Triage evidence-based protocols for symptom-based management, patient education, and advice
• Responds promptly to incoming calls and provider messages
• Performs patient outreach per provider requests
• Communicates with providers per patient request clearly and concisely, accurately documenting all pertinent information
• All calls and messages are completed with documented closed-loop communication
• Schedules appointments  
• Review and triage medication refills requests in accordance with Rx Refill Protocol 
• Assist with prior authorization of medications
• Per provider order, place requests for durable medical equipment
• In coordination with the provider, assesses, interprets, and communicates normal lab results, including warfarin dosing per protocol
• May participate in daily huddles with patient care team(s) 
• Support coordination of team-based care with CNAs, CMAs, LPNs, and other RNs within the clinic(s)  
• Collaborate with consulting providers, behavioral health, nutrition, and pharmacists 
• Provide panel management support in conjunction with floor nurses to identify quality care gaps and participate in outreach as needed 
• May participate in nurse-led co-visits; such as annual wellness visits and acute care visits
• Identify and perform pre-visit planning for a variety of visit types 
• Assist with the management of urgent and emergent patient care situations (i.e., Red Flag calls)
• Performs clinical procedures within scope of practice as needed (i.e., intermittent catheters, phlebotomy, clia-waived lab tests, processes specimens, IVs, etc.)
• Participate in annual competency training of clinical staff 
• Serve as a preceptor for new clinical and telephone triage staff 
• Provide care management support such as transitions of care calls and hospital follow-ups within the clinic as needed 
• Participates in process improvement of new and existing workflows  
• Actively embraces and supports divisional and organizational initiatives 
• Supports clinic and community events as needed

This role description is a general description of the essential job functions.  It is not intended to describe all the duties the Registered Nurse, Triage may perform.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Communication Skills

Effectively and respectably communicate with other individuals, whether it be a colleague, patient, or patient’s family member and appropriately enumerate information in a manner easily understood by all parties. We do this to foster a culture of understanding between all parties, especially in complex and difficult situations, to ultimately provide the best care possible to our patients and their families.

• Decision Making

Ability to make the most appropriate decision in a given situation and then taking the next steps to ensure appropriate and timely completion. This requires conflict resolution skills, critical thinking skills, confidence in your ability to make the right decision in most situations. This also includes ability to prioritize your workday appropriately to ensure the most important tasks are completed on time.

• HealthCare Knowledge

Having the drive to keep yourself abreast and up to date on the new breakthroughs in your area of expertise and communicating them to the rest of the team, as appropriate.  This also includes keeping up with your licensure and yearly training requirements within your area expertise along with MAHEC’s organizational training. Finally, the ability to apply the depth of knowledge maintained and gained through this process in real life scenarios as appropriate.

• Interpersonal Skills

Showing the ability to meet difficult situations with grace, professionalism, and understanding. Within your area of expertise, showing respect and showing empathy where appropriate with your colleagues, patients, and their family at all times, even when its most difficult to do so. This is done, in part, by effective listening, being your authentic self, showing respon