The triage nurse care team’s primary goal is to determine if your child’s current signs and symptoms require an appointment with a physician or referral to a local emergency room. Our nurses are able to calculate over the counter dosages and are aware of recommendations that our doctors usually make. Our triage nurses spend most of their time on the phone, so you will likely have to leave a message with your child’s name and birth date, a call back number and what your call is regarding. If you think that your child needs to be seen, do not hesitate to make an appointment directly. Although our nurses do their best to return calls in a timely manner, it may be in your child’s best interest not to wait for a call back. Our nursing staff, in large part, follows the same scheduling rules that our front desk staff has been asked to follow. However, they have easier access to the physicians and can add on or overbook if absolutely necessary.
The triage nurse care team’s majority of callers require:
Please let us know the urgency of your call. If you believe that your child is facing a potentially life-threatening medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
Our nurses view the calls that we receive as opportunities to educate families about normal child development and common childhood illnesses. In addition, it is our goal to provide instruction on caring for a child should a similar health problem arise in the future. Follow up phone calls are made to families if the nurse or pediatrician determines the family needs continuing assessment and/or additional education and support.
The calls that we receive are managed according to the Barton Schmitt Pediatric Telephone Triage Protocols and the professional judgment of the nursing staff. Our triage nurse care team looks forward to assisting your family.