MCCCD Program Description

Triage Skills for Urgent Care Staff

Course: NCE265

First Term: 2014 Summer

Lecture 0.5 Credit(s) 0.5 Period(s) 0.5 Load
Subject Type: Occupational
Load Formula: S- Standard

Description: Identification of high risk aspects of frequent medical complaints. Instruction in avoiding errors when triaging patients in the urgent care setting.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Identify basic guidelines to follow in the initial triage of a patient in the urgent care. (I) 2. Describe knowledge, skills, and abilities in triaging eye emergencies. (II) 3. Identify urgent concerns with throat and nose complaints. (II) 4. List genitourinary complaints that require urgent attention. (III) 5. Describe triage skills which will require urgent vascular needs. (IV) 6. Identify signs of a septic joint vs. an episode of gout. (IV) 7. Describe types and manifestations of life threatening rashes.(V) 8. Identify wounds that require urgent attention. (V) 9. Describe urgent issues in sudden onset headaches.(VI) 10. Describe manifestations of an acute allergic reaction. (VII) 11. Summarize the steps in triaging the patient with sudden back pain. (VIII) 12. Describe best practices in triaging the pediatric patient in relation to fever and respiratory distress. (IX) 13. Identify serious manifestations in the geriatric patient with complaints of chest and abdominal pain. (X)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Triage guidelines in Urgent Care A. Provokes, Quality, Radiation, Severity, Time (PQRST) B. Onset of symptoms, Location of problem, Duration of symptoms, Characteristics of symptoms, Aggravating factors, Relieving factors, and Type of treatment prior to arrival (OLD CART Mnemonic) II. Head, Ear, Eyes, Nose and Throat (HEENT) Pitfalls in Triage A. Eye pain 1.hyphema B. Epiglottis C. Lacerations D. Epistaxis III. Genitourinary Complaints A. Renal colic B. Urinary tract Infections vs. Pyelonephritis C. Scrotal pain D. Gyn complaints 1. Ovarian torsion 2. Pelvic infection 3. Bleeding in pregnancy IV. Orthopedic and Vascular complaints in the lower extremities A. Deep vein vs. arterial blockage B. Septic joints C. Gout V. Life threatening rashes/wounds A. Steven Johnson syndrome B. Necrotizing fasciitis C. Meningococcemia D.Cellulitis VI. Sudden onset headaches VII. Allergic reactions VIII. Sudden onset of back pain IX. Pediatric triage A. Fever B. Respiratory Distress X. Geriatric patients in the Urgent care A. Chest pain B. Abdominal pain 1. Aneurysms

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: March 25, 2014

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.