welcome to the triage logic Learning Center a place where nurses can learn and discuss the newest and best practice methods being used to triage their patients I am Marcy LA and I'm the triage logic nurse educator telephone triage nurses use protocols when assessing their patients this helps assure that the information they are providing is standardized and that patients are receiving the most appropriate care this short video gives you an introduction to what protocols are and how they are used by the nurse so what exactly are protocols and how do they work Protocols are specialized algorithms that are used to evaluate the seriousness of a caller's condition based on their present complaint and their answers to a series of questions starting with the highest Acuity 911 and working down to those symptoms that can safely be managed at home because of the variety of Ages and multitude of reasons the patient is calling the triage protocols have to be extremely comprehensive and need to give targeted advice based on the symptoms and disposition of the collar protocols like the nurse's stethoscope are just one of many tools used by the triage nurse to assess her patient the nurse must also rely on her past nursing experience her judgement and her critical thinking skills this advice is targeted and specific based on the patient symptoms and the disposition that was chosen protocols can also allow the nurse to recommend home remedies make an appointment are referred to a specialist or an urgent care facility as appropriate the most important thing that protocols do when used correctly is ensure that consistent and accurate advice is given to all patients that are calling about their health concerns or symptoms now that you know a little about protocols and how the nurse uses them to assess her patients you can go to the Learning Center and view the course on protocols to get more in-depth information please feel free to share this video and leave feedback about this topic and others that may interest you