The Process of Triage in Perinatal Settings: Clinical and Legal Issues

Abstract

The process of triage in perinatal settings often has been considered the sole function of the labor and delivery nurse. In fact, all nurses have a legal and professional duty to engage in the systematic identification of patient-client problems, prioritization of needs, and prompt deployment of personnel and equipment to meet those needs. In-person and telephone triage occur in all obstetric ambulatory and acute care settings. The organized steps in triage should be identical regardless of the location or size of the perinatal service. The redesign of women's and neonatal services, the reduction of professional nursing staff, and predictions of a growing nursing shortage require perinatal nurses to develop highly refined triage skills.