Question

The receptionist at the clinic where you are employed as a nurse has forwarded a call to you from Mrs. Garcia, mother of 4-year-old Maria. Mrs. Garcia tells you that Maria has had a fever all morning of around 37.8 degrees celsius and that she now has diarrhea and vomiting. Mrs. Garcia reports Maria is alert and still urinating. As you provide triage by phone, which of the following actions is appropriate?

a. reassure Mrs. Garcia that Maria is not very sick and will be fine in a day or two
b. confer with the practitioner at once
c. wait to document in Maria's medical record until she comes in for a visit
d. offer advice for home care and instruct Mrs. Garcia to call or come to the clinic if Maria's symptoms do not improve

Answer 1

The appropriate response is to offer home care advice to Mrs. Garcia and instruct her to contact the clinic if symptoms persist or worsen, ensuring Maria's condition is monitored and documented for timely care.

Step-by-step explanation:

In triaging Maria’s condition over the phone, the appropriate action would be to offer advice for home care and instruct Mrs. Garcia to call or come to the clinic if Maria's symptoms do not improve. This approach allows for monitoring of the condition while also providing guidance on how to manage symptoms at home. It's essential not to minimize the symptoms or delay necessary documentation in the medical record. However, given the presence of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, close monitoring is warranted to ensure that if Maria's condition worsens, she receives timely medical care. The receptionist should also document the call and symptoms reported by Mrs. Garcia to ensure continuity of care and proper follow-up.