Job Abstract

REMOTE:

The Triage Advice Nurse is a practicing registered nurse who provides patient care to established and new patients via telephone or computer utilizing the nursing process, input from physicians, and organizationally approved nursing guidelines and protocols. Position functions include: level-of-care triage, provision of illness, injury and self-care intervention, advice and consultation to patients. The role requires the advice nurse to identify, estimate, differentiate or rule out non-urgent/urgent, non-acute/acute, emergent, life-threatening symptoms in order to provide safe and timely disposition of symptoms presented by patients via telephone. The Triage Advice Nurse will navigate, and document, schedule and other tasks as assigned in the electronic health record systems, web portal and call management system while interacting with patients and/or family members via telephone and/or web-based environment.

Provides nursing care in accordance with departmental policies and procedures and established standards of nursing care and practice in an Ambulatory or Acute care setting. Promotes restoration of health and achievement of patient health goals through assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation in the delivery of patient care.

Essential Duties:

• Assesses health care needs of patients. Plans, implements and evaluates care designed to meet patient health care needs.
• Identifies patients' educational needs and provides health-related information to enhance patients' understanding of medical condition and related treatments.
• Recognizes changes in the patient's physical and mental condition, takes appropriate action by notifying physician and/or nursing supervisor.
• Triages patient phone calls and provides guidance and direction to inquiries per protocols.
• Promotes security by alerting appropriate personnel for safety, fire and other unsafe situations. Reports any unusual occurrences to supervisor. Participates in monitoring and evaluating the quality and appropriateness of patient care.
• Consistently exhibits behavior and communication skills demonstrating USC's commitment to superior customer service, including quality, care and concerns.
• Performs comprehensive telephonic patient assessment, evaluation, and advice
• Follows established clinical protocols/guidelines and provides appropriate patient instructions
• Direct patient to appropriate levels of care based on assessment
• Completes medical documentation of telephonic assessment and disposition in Electronic Health Record
• Notifies pharmacies of new prescription and authorization of refills as ordered by the providers or via nursing protocols
• Manages own work queues
• Assess language line for non-English speaking patients as needed
• Receives incoming telephone calls and/or make outbound calls to patients who have left messages with the contact center
• May provide medical advice for the condition presented over the phone; ensure that advice is within the scope of the role and in accordance with Student Health policies, HIPAA Regulations and Standing Operating Procedures
• Effectively interviews and assess patients with acute and/or chronic health problems, including physical, psychological, cognitive problems. Independently triages and/or advises patients based on perceived illness acuity to the appropriate level of care including the patient's physician-of-record, appropriate clinic or the ER.
• Effectively identifies and refers patients with complicated medical histories, health education needs, chronic health problems or treatment compliance to the patients' physician-of-record.
• Schedules clinic appointments or connects patients to local 911 services. May arrange for patient transportation on a limited basis.
• Receives, triages and provides advice to patient callers.
• Adheres to approved clinical telephone protocols; confers with physician for any illness/injury needing additional clinical advise.
• Decides same-day, walk-in or overbooking of patients into clinician scheduling templates based on based on direct telephone triage or clinician/clinic-provided protocols.
• Effectively surveys and records in the patient medical record the patient's chief complaint(s), level of urgency, potential of self-care intervention, type of follow-up needed and any demographic or anecdotal data necessary for highest-quality clinical decision-making.
• Electronic Prescription Renewal Program. Renews prescriptions using standard medical protocols. Uses appropriate physician consultation to provide information to patients about prescribed medications and therapies.
• Accurately confirms appointments and tests.
• Answers insurance-related questions accurately or refers to an appropriate resource.
• Receives, triages and provides advice to patient for complaints about medical care or services.
• Works collaboratively with clinicians developing new and/or reviewing existing triage protocols. Contributes to interdisciplinary quality review activities upon request
• Assesses a patient's knowledge base/understanding of their diagnostic procedure.
• Educates patient according to each patient's individual needs and documents results.
• Documents accurately in patient's Electronic Health Record .
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Req Bachelor's degree Nursing Degree in Nursing (BSN) *Grandfathered from BSN if hired prior to 12/2019

• Req 2 years or more Acute or Ambulatory nursing experience

• Req Must have excellent communication skills, including the ability to speak, read and write English proficiently.
• Req Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Req Demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to empathize with patients and effectively convey information.
• Req Demonstrated high-level skills in problem solving, time management and prioritizing work where the nature of patient inquiries.
• Req Knowledge of medical procedures and conditions and ability to understand, follow and successfully perform duties, including whole blood collection, and apheresis procedures, in accordance with administrative and clinical policies, regulations and procedures.
• Req Demonstrated knowledge and use of physical-, psycho-, social-assessment skills within the scope-of-practice defined by the Board of Registered Nursing and in compliance of state laws and medical nursing standards of care.
• Req Professional knowledge of clinical nursing protocols with specific emphasis of disease processes, emergencies, health sciences and pharmacology.
• Req Ability to work nights, weekends and holidays.

Preferred Qualifications:

Required Licenses/Certifications:

• Req Registered Nurse - RN (CA Board of Registered Nursing)
• Req Basic Life Support (BLS) Healthcare Provider from American Heart Association
• Req Fire Life Safety Training (LA City) If no card upon hire, one must be obtained within 30 days of hire and maintained by renewal before expiration date. (Required within LA City only)

USC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance. We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu.  Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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