Triage Nurse Job Description Template

Triage nurses are often the first healthcare professionals to interact with patients who enter emergency care settings. They also work in other capacities, such as telehealth, to steer patients toward the correct treatment options. Writing a thorough triage nurse job description is one way to ensure you hire a nurse who can help your department provide efficient and effective patient care from initial contact onward.

Before you post a job to recruit a talented triage nurse for your team, it’s important to spend some time on your job description to ensure it accurately conveys the assignment. This guide will give you sample language to use in your description, along with tips designed to help you customize your post. Download the printable template for a helpful head start.

Need more ideas? Consider browsing current nurse job openings to see how other recruiting teams are attracting top talent. When you reach the interview phase, take advantage of our triage nurse interview questions to streamline the process.

Triage Nurse

Tips: Begin your job description with an overview of the role and an introduction to your facility. Nurses browsing job posts will want to know what working within your organization would be like. Highlighting a few positive attributes up front can help you catch job seekers’ attention and encourage them to read on.

When providing an overview of the job, you may want to touch on core competencies. Whether you’re writing a hospice triage nurse job description or recruiting for your oncology care team, you’ll likely want to focus on clinical judgment in your recruitment content.

Triage is a French word that comes from the verb trier, meaning to separate out. Regardless of the setting they work in, triage nurses specialize in:

• Making clinical decisions regarding the prioritization of patient care.
• Performing focused assessments to determine how sick patients are.

Template:

[Facility Name] is seeking an experienced RN to join our emergency department team in the triage nurse role. In this position, you would be responsible for using sound clinical judgment to determine acuity levels and identify high-risk conditions.

Our emergency department is equipped to deliver excellent patient care and rapid access to life-saving interventions. We pride ourselves on working together to deliver high-quality services to our patients and their families.

Benefits

Tips: The next section of your description will list the perks of employment within your organization. If you offer fringe benefits that promote wellbeing, list them here.

Template:

• Competitive pay with generous PTO
• 401(k) plan with matching
• Health, dental, and vision insurance and HSA options
• Access to additional counseling resources
• Active shared governance structure
• Financial assistance for professional certification programs
• DAISY recognition program
• Tuition reimbursement program

Duties and Responsibilities

Tips: Next, you’ll outline the daily tasks that triage nurses within your department are expected to perform. Include overarching responsibilities as well. Within some organizations, skilled triage nurses help departments meet long-term goals, such as reducing average wait times and improving patient flow through the department.

For units offering specialized services, such as cardiac or OB/GYN, triage nurse job descriptions should also discuss specialized tasks (for example, obtaining and interpreting ECGs).

Template:

• Perform focused assessments to assign acuity levels to incoming patients
• Identify high-risk conditions in a timely manner and initiate appropriate emergency interventions
• Communicate with EMS providers prior to patient arrival to facilitate efficient initial contact with incoming patients
• Communicate patient status to the multidisciplinary care team
• Apply rapid triage protocols per [Facility Name] policy
• Educate patients regarding their care plan and treatment options
• Record accurate and timely documentation
• Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team and department leadership to achieve identified objectives, including reduced patient wait times and improved patient flow throughout the department

Compensation and Schedule

Tips: In this section, you’ll share the pay scale for the position and give applicants basic information about scheduling. Work-life balance has emerged as an important benefit that workers seek — with research finding that it matters to some workers even more than pay. Providing details about flexible scheduling options that support a healthy work-life balance may help you attract candidates.

Template:

• Pay range from $35 – $42 per hour, based on experience and credentials
• Shift differentials applied for evening, night, and weekend hours
• Full time, 12-hour day or night shifts, with self-scheduling options
• Location: [City, State, Country]

Skills and Qualifications

Tips: Next, define the triage nurse qualifications you’re looking for, with details regarding education level, professional experience, and additional credentials. Triage nurse education standards are varied, and must be in accordance with facility policies.

If you’re writing a telephone triage nurse job description, there are additional skills to consider. These nurses, sometimes called advice nurses, are often required to work on phones and computers simultaneously to determine the best next steps for their patients. In addition to having strong clinical judgment skills, qualified applicants must be proficient with technology.

Template:

Required qualifications:

• Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor or Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Active and unencumbered RN license
• BLS, ACLS, and PALS certified
• 3 years of experience working as an RN, with at least 2 years in an emergency or intensive care department

Preferred qualifications:

• Previous leadership experience
• Trauma nursing core course (TNCC) certified
• Certified emergency nurse (CEN)
• Emergency Nursing Triage Education Program (ENTEP) verified

Call to Action

Tips: Wrap up your description by encouraging candidates to apply. You can boost engagement with your post by using positive and inviting language, and be sure to provide clear directions about how to submit documents.

Template:

If you’re excited about working with our team to provide excellent emergency care services to our community, we want to hear from you. Submit your application today by clicking the link below. If you have any questions about uploading your resume and cover letter, contact us at [email address] and we’ll be happy to help.

Connect With Skilled Triage Nurses Today

Whether you run a hospital unit or clinic, triage nurse job descriptions are a key aspect of the hiring process. Want to connect with qualified applicants faster? Post your triage nurse vacancy to our network of over 1 million nursing professionals looking to join a team like yours.