Resurfacing the care in nursing by telephone: lessons from ambulatory oncology.
The practice of providing telephone mediated advice and assistance is often described as "telephone triage" in relevant literature. The decision-making processes required for priority-setting and the provision of advice have been found to be complex and multifaceted. Conceptualization of this valuable patient care activity as a linear "triage" function serves to make invisible the nursing care provided. This article explores the current practice of providing telephone mediated advice and assistance in the following 2 distinct nursing care settings: emergency departments and ambulatory oncology centers. Examination of this activity in these 2 settings provides a forum to discuss and critique legally and fiscally driven prescriptive protocol use to inform decision-making. The effectiveness of experiential knowledge coupled with the strengths of nurse-patient relationships suggests that a need exists to highlight the caring aspects of telephone mediated assistance.
Wilson
Rosemary
R
Empire 2, Kingston General Hospital, 76 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 2V7.
Hubert
John
J
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000639:trends*; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D003657:Decision Making; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000639:trends; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000639:trends*; D013689:Telephone; D014218:Triage