Telephone protocols in pediatric ambulatory care

Telephone management in pediatric ambulatory care settings is a nursing activity that has not been well-defined. The telephone is an vital point of access for parents seeking health care advice as well as the nurse in managing common childhood illnesses or injuries and providing anticipatory guidance. Literature-based protocols provide the nurse with intervention resources of current and accurate information when advising parents over the telephone. This article describes the process of telephone protocol development for responding to parents seeking advice at a mid-west tertiary care center.