Welcome to Part 3 of the Triage E-learning.
In Phase 1, you learned how to start a triage consultation safely and in a structured way. You practised the opening of the consultation, the D-ABC (ABCDE) assessment and collecting the patient’s personal details.
This first phase helps you recognise whether there is an immediate threat to the patient’s vital functions. If you identify a threat during the D-ABC assessment, you take immediate action and do not continue with the standard triage structure.
If there is no immediate threat, however, the triage assessment is not complete. You need to continue and gather more information to understand the patient’s situation and determine the correct urgency.
This brings us to Phase 2: Further Assessment.
During Phase 2, you will work step by step on:
- Further Assessment of the Patient’s Current Condition
- Pain Management
- Current Medication Use
- Medical History
- Patient’s Request for Help
- Using the NTS Presenting Complaint in the Digital System
- Practice Assessment
These elements help you build a more complete clinical picture. Good triage is not about asking a fixed list of questions. It is about listening carefully, asking relevant follow-up questions and recognising which information may influence the urgency.
Throughout this part of the e-learning, you will first practise the different elements separately. Step by step, you will learn how to bring them together naturally as part of a structured triage consultation.
Keep asking yourself:
What do I already know about this patient, and what do I still need to know to make a safe triage decision?
