Ambulatory oncology nurses making the right call: assessment and education in telephone triage practices

Nurses in a hematology/oncology practice are responsible for the triage and management of phone calls from a diverse oncology population. An initiative was developed at the authors' institution to identify the educational needs of RNs while designing strategies to educate and improve telephone triage skills. The goal was to standardize triage practice and ultimately improve the effectiveness of telephone triage management. It was felt that these improvements could enhance the nurse-patient relationship, resulting in continuity of care to the patient, as well as reducing inappropriate appointments and hospitalizations, enhancing education, and lessening the risk of medical complications related to delays in care.