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Nurse-led telephone triage in an Australian rural mental health service
Citation
Barnett, AP and Henderson, S and Henry, D and Gumpold, A and Foote, P and Gallop, S, Nurse-led telephone triage in an Australian rural mental health service, International Journal of Nursing Practice, 15, (5) pp. 389-393. ISSN 1322-7114 (2009) [Refereed Article]
DOI: doi:10.1111/j.1440-172X.2009.01788.x
Abstract
This paper reports on changes in referral patterns of a rural mental health telephone triage service based in Gippsland,
Victoria, Australia. A retrospective audit of service data over the period 1999–2005 was undertaken as part of a quality
improvement exercise. Data collected included service utilization statistics and critical reflection on the role of the mental
health triage clinician within the service.
There was an average of 2771 referrals each year and a trend for increased use by general practitioners and hospital
emergency departments. Triage nurses reported concerns about: professional isolation, lack of formal education, difficulties
in making decisions based on limited data as well as poor understanding of the role by users (patients and referrers).
Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of this form of patient assessment on psychiatric nursing practice and
clinical outcomes
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | mental health, nurse, rural, telephone, triage |
Research Division: | Indigenous Studies |
Research Group: | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing |
Research Field: | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public health and wellbeing |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
Objective Field: | Behaviour and health |
UTAS Author: | Barnett, AP (Associate Professor Tony Barnett) |
ID Code: | 72775 |
Year Published: | 2009 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 5 |
Deposited By: | UTAS Centre for Rural Health |
Deposited On: | 2011-08-31 |
Last Modified: | 2011-11-01 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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