Reporting to the Director of Quality, is responsible for professional communications regarding patient care, and triage (sorting and prioritizing patients) of clinical pool messages  such as patient calls, result notes, patient call back, my chart advice request.  Participates in Rx request, Mychart Rx request as needed and supervises Medical Assistants in dealing with prescription refill requests and prior authorizations for medications per protocol.  

II. REPRESENTATIVE FUNCTIONS: 

Reviews patient inbasket messages and talks directly to patients on the telephone or via Mychart and directs patients to appropriate level of care (emergency department , urgent care centers, physician office) per protocol or provides appropriate home medical advice

Conducts patient telephone assessment utilizing nursing skills to determine problems, intervening according to the patients need and gives instructions to patient/caregiver.  Evaluates patient’s and caregiver’s understanding of instructions using teach-back methodology and conveys related information and issues to appropriate clinical staff by telephone or by utilizing the EMR.  

Uses  available clinically appropriate resources (triage book, up to date,etc)  to make sound clinical decisions

Determines urgency of seeing the patient based on brief assessment and on familiarity with a patient’s condition and history by reviewing the EMR.

Sends patients with high-risk chief complaints such as chest pain, abdominal pain, or severe headaches, signs and symptoms of stroke  to emergency department  immediately, assists with arranging ambulance as needed.

Provides appropriate home medical advice to patients who do not need to go directly to the ER.

Arranges appointments for patients who do not need to go to emergency department but need to see a physician. Consults with physician as needed. Performs excellent customer service and listens to caller’s concerns, promptly intervenes to solve problem to customer’s satisfaction, and communicates pertinent information to clinical staff and supervisors. Participates in care coordination activities, quality studies, patient-centered medical home activites and  quality initiatives as assigned.

Adheres to all Northwest Community Hospital standards, policies, and procedures.

III. SPECIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Critical thinking skills necessary to assess, evaluate, draw accurate conclusions, and make decisions based on factual evidence.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate instructions

Knowledge of telephone-based clinical assessment techniques.

Skill in making triage decisions and responding quickly and calmly in emergency situations such as calling 911 and arranging for ambulance.

Skill in using electronic medical records to check patient history.

Knowledge of appropriate at home health information for patients to follow per protocol until physician appointment

The interpersonal skills necessary to interact with patients, their family members, physicians, referral sources and co-workers effectively.

The organizational skills necessary to effectively manage time and handle multiple priorities.

The ability to use computers to enter data and retrieve information.

IV. KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE AND LICENSURE/REGISTRATION REQUIRED:

Diploma in Nursing required, Bachelor’s Degree preferred in Nursing or a healthcare related field with extensive knowledge of medical terminology and disease processes.

Professional licensure in the State of Illinois.

Minimum of three years of experience as an RN required.

Minimum one year of telephone triage experience preferred, preferably in medical practice setting.

V. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Light physical effort.  Requires long periods of sitting.

Flow of work requires concentrated mental, visual, and auditory attention for sustained periods of time.

Requires auditory acuity adequate to converse with patients by telephone.

What you will need:Benefits:

• Career Pathways to Promote Professional Growth and Development
• Various Medical, Dental, and Vision options, including Domestic Partner Coverage
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Free Parking at designated locations
• Wellness Program Savings Plan
• Health Savings Account Options
• Retirement Options with Company Match
• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay
• Community Involvement Opportunities