Telephone Triage for Oncology Nurses

As the care of patients with cancer has shifted from the inpatient arena to the outpatient setting, the traditional role of the nurse has been challenged. Nurses both in outpatient clinics and physicians' offices have frequently found themselves performing assessments and providing triage and advice over the telephone. Designed as a resource for oncology nurses who are learning the telephone nursing role as well as a guide those developing a formalised telephone nursing practice, this new second edition features new chapters on antibiotic therapy problems, bone loss, and hemoptysis. Chapters provide a systematic approach to performing a telephone nursing assessment, discussion of telephone triage practice models, tips to improve telephone communication, and a history of telephone triage. Also included are symptom-focused telephone protocols and guidelines to help direct oncology nurses in the development of guidelines in their practice. These telephone protocols serve as a guide for oncology nurses to meet the specific needs of their patient population.