Non Established Patients

SCOPE: Triage Nurse, RN, Registered Nurse

POLICY: The triage nurse is focused on assessment and disposition recommendations for established patients. The triage nurse will not accept calls, assess patients, or offer medical advice for non-established patients. 

PROCEDURE: 

1. The triage nurse identifies the caller as a non-established patient
2. Triage nurse will kindly let the caller know that an assessment is unable to be performed due to caller not being an established patient of the providers that he or she takes call for. Triage nurse will then encourage caller the reach out to their primary care provider office. 
3. The triage nurse will advise caller to seek emergent treatment at local emergency room or urgent care center if he or she feels symptoms are life threatening. 
4. Call will not be entered as a phone encounter in Anytime Pediatrics if the patient is a non-established patient.

EXCEPTIONS: If caller is calling regarding a newborn, triage nurse must triage newborn regardless of whether the newborn has established care with the provider. 

DEFINITONS: Newborn-baby less than 4 weeks