Question for all you talented ER nurses.
I work in a small rural ER (70 bed hospital). We have a "concierge"
at the entrance to the hospital (RN position). She is mostly for the
ER, but also helps direct pts to other areas of the hospital. At this
point, when a pt comes in for the ER, she asks them their chief
complaint after walking them into the waiting room, and trying to
provide a little privacy. This is written on a paper and brought
into the ER. THen the triage nurse goes and brings the pt in, or the
paper is hung if the triage nurse is busy. Other nurses take this
patient in to a room if they have an availabe. If it is a pt that
needs to come right in, ie chest pain, stroke symptoms etc, the
concierge brings them into a room or stands at the nursing station
until someone takes the pt in.....

Management wants to change this so that the concierge is not so
involved in the ER, and more as a greeter. I am on the comittee as an
ER nurse.

We do not have enough staff to have a triage nurse sit in triage, and
I have pointed out that we rely heavily on the concierge to be our
eyes and ears.

Can you email me privately how the process works in your ER
(especially smaller ER's). We are a coastal ER, and the summer are
SWAMPED, but in the winter things slow down a bit.
Thank you so much.


Gail Hendrickson
northeastlnc@...
I am fighting to keep this RN more for the ER, or we need to increase
our staff to have a nurse always in triage.