Welcome to Part two – Phase 2 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.
After Phase 1, you have a first picture of the patient’s current condition. If there is no immediate threat, you continue with Phase 2: Further Assessment.
In this phase, you explore the patient’s situation in more detail. You look at the current complaint, but also at other information that may be important, such as current medication use and medical history.
Ask yourself:
Is there anything in the patient’s medication or medical history that I need to take into account when assessing the current complaint, choosing the NTS presenting complaint or determining the urgency?
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 your assessment and the urgency.
Throughout this part of the e-learning, you will 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?
