Dual Organization Collaborative Telephone Triage Education Symposium (Spotlight Poster)

At a national conference, leaders from two healthcare organizations identified a critical gap in professional development for telephone triage nurses. Specifically, there was a lack of affordable, standardized learning opportunities that addressed the distinct needs of triage nursing across different settings. Both leadership teams recognized the need to provide cost-effective, structured training to improve triage skills, clinical decision-making, and adherence to regulatory standards.
This initiative’s primary goal was to develop and implement a standardized telephone triage education symposium tailored for nurses at both institutions. The program aimed to equip nurses with essential skills to enhance patient safety, improve clinical practice, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly in managing triage calls. A key component was offering the training at no cost to participants to encourage wide accessibility and participation.
To develop the curriculum, leadership teams from both organizations held monthly collaborative Zoom meetings. These sessions included additional stakeholders from leadership and education departments who helped outline content, assign responsibilities, and create the necessary educational materials. The final program included two four-hour sessions, with content delivered by staff from both organizations through a shared presentation.
The symposium content covered regulatory requirements, including licensing standards and an overview of relevant nurse practice acts; triage fundamentals, such as conducting a focused assessment, obtaining a patient’s health history, and following established protocols; practical learning through an “escape room” activity where participants solved triage case scenarios; customer service skills to manage difficult calls and handle abusive callers; and going beyond the triage call with items including care coordination and the addressing of social determinants of health.
A total of 41 nurses attended the two-day educational event, which awarded participants with three nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) credits. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive: 73.3% of participants rated the training as “outstanding,” while 26.7% rated it as “good.” Nurses reported significant improvements in understanding regulatory standards and their application in telephone triage, particularly in following protocols and state nurse practice acts.
Furthermore, 80% of attendees rated the customer service training and strategies for managing difficult calls as “outstanding,” with the remaining 20% giving a “good” rating. The program not only enhanced participants’ clinical decision-making and patient interactions but also laid a foundation for continued improvements in telephone triage education. Plans are underway to record the sessions, expanding access to nurses unable to attend and offering the potential to provide continuing education credits to a broader audience.
Learning outcome: The project successfully increased nurses’ understanding of regulatory standards and enhanced their clinical decision-making and ability to manage challenging triage calls, supporting improved patient safety and care.