# 296 Most Important Staff Member?
Absolutely; every staff member, from cleaner or transporter to Chairman of Department, has importance and value, but, in some moments the importance of individual thought and action can be decisive in a case or the success of the department.
Very often, that person is the Triage Nurse. Similar to a patrolling soldier leading at the 'point', the triageur or triageuse is likely the first to recognize to recognize danger. Until active treatment begins, that person is the 'face' of the department and the hospital to the patient and family, and certainly the words of Maya Angelou apply: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
The complex job of Triage calls for the talented extraction of signs, symptoms, and usable information of history and events while also evaluating the mental and emotional status of the patient and adapting this process dynamically to persons of disparate comprehension, ages, disabilities, language capabilities, while always under time pressure of new arrivals being aware of activity in the waiting room.
This person must have a wide and deep knowledge base of disease, injury, medicine, and surgery. This informs a remarkable ability to ascertain problems, skip to other details, find pertinent positives and negatives, and convey data and suspicions to others. The notes will often say "Consider … " "Concern for …" Possibility … ". This does not replace the full diagnostic process but heightens it by avoiding neglect of considerations. Brilliant Triage Nurses also have "the eye": the ability to look at a patient, take instant action, bypass the routine triage process, bring the person 'straight back' and alert staff of a critical patient.
How do we recognize and diffuse these abilities among the staff? The department's charts have a review process. This doesn't need to be an anxiety-fraught Morbidity & Mortality Review, or a "Risk Management would like to talk with you" event. When Triage Notes have an unusually high concordance with the patient's diagnosis, course, and outcome, the author should be recognized among staff at a staff meeting, and the contributing elements shared in discussion.
In such manner, we can help ensure that the person on duty at the 'point', whoever of the staff it may be, is the best person for the job at the most important place.
All Tips: 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 - Updated! (11/04/2018)
