COURSE INFORMATION
This advanced professional nursing CE course offers a comprehensive, evidence-based exploration of emergency nursing triage guided by the Rapid Access Guide for Triage and Emergency Nurses: Chief Complaints with High-Risk Presentations by Lynn Sayre Visser and Anna Sivo Montejano. Designed for nurses working in emergency departments, urgent care settings, and other high-acuity environments, the course equips learners with the essential clinical knowledge and decision-making skills necessary to rapidly identify, prioritize, and respond to patient presentations that may be life-threatening or have significant implications for patient outcomes.
The curriculum focuses on a patient-centered approach to triage, emphasizing assessment priorities, chief complaint recognition, and the interpretation of critical signs and symptoms — often indicated by clearly identifiable “red flag” markers. Learners will engage with evidence-based screening tools, practical checklists, and clinical algorithms to support rapid assessment and safe prioritization of care. The course content covers chief complaints by body system, pediatric and geriatric considerations, legal and waiting room issues, and management of special high-risk clinical scenarios, including trauma and disaster response.
In addition to clinical presentations, the course addresses broader emergency care themes such as patient flow, risk reduction strategies, and key interventions for atypical and complex cases. Practical learning opportunities, including case reviews and application exercises, will strengthen clinical judgment and enhance the ability to make timely, evidence-informed decisions under pressure. Upon successful completion, participants will have deepened their competencies in emergency nursing triage and developed the critical thinking skills required to ensure patient safety and optimize care outcomes in fast-paced clinical environments
Course Code: TH 500. Contact hours of Education: 40.
Instructor/Course Author: Dr. Tonya E Glass, DNP, RN
Link to Resume: access here
Email: jndrchc@gmail.com
TIME FRAME: You are allotted two years from the date of enrollment, to complete all of the courses required in the Spiritual Counseling- Christian Focused program. There are no set time-frames, other than the two year allotted time. If you do not complete the course within the two-year time-frame, you will be removed from the course and an “incomplete” will be recorded for you in our records. Also, if you would like to complete the course after this two-year expiration time, you would need to register and pay the course tuition fee again.
TEXTBOOKS: There is one (1) required textbook for this course.
Rapid Access Guide for Triage and Emergency Nurses by Lynn Sayre Visser and Anna Sivo Montejano
- ISBN-10: 0826169759
- ISBN-13: 978-0826169754
Link to Purchase on Amazon.com: Click Here
GRADING: You must achieve a passing score of at least 70% to complete this course and receive the 40 hours of awarded continuing education credit. There are no letter grades assigned. You will receive notice of your total % score. Those who score below the minimum of 70% will be contacted by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. and options for completing additional course work to achieve a passing score will be presented.
BOARD APPROVALS: The American Institute of Health Care Professionals (The Provider) is approved by the California Board of Registered Nurses, Provider number # CEP 15595 for 40 Contact Hours. Access information
This course, which is approved by the Florida State Board Of Nursing (CE Provider # 50-11975) also has the following Board of Nursing Approvals, for 40 contact hours of CE
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Arkansas Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Georgia Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Professional Registered Nurses. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the New Mexico Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
Course Refund & AIHCP Policies: access here
ONLINE CLASSROOM RESOURCES AND TOOLS
* Examination Access: there is link to take you right to the online examination program where you can print out your examination and work with it. All examinations are formatted as “open book” tests. When you are ready, you can access the exam program at anytime and click in your responses to the questions. Full information is provided in the online classrooms.
* Student Resource Center: there is a link for access to a web page “Student Resource Center.” The Resource Center provides for easy access to all of our policies/procedures and additional information regarding applying for certification. We also have many links to many outside reference sites, such as online libraries that you may freely access.
* Online Evaluation: there is a link in the classroom where you may access the course evaluation. All students completing a course, must, without exception, complete the course evaluation.
* Faculty Access Information: you will have access to your instructor’s online resume/biography, as well as your instructor’s specific contact information.
* Additional Learning Materials: some faculty have prepared additional “readings” and /or brief lecture notes to enhance your experience. All of these are available in the online classrooms.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Determine how sick or injured the patient is, the potential for deterioration or demise, how quickly interventions, care, and treatment need to be delivered, and what treatment or waiting area of the department is most appropriate for the patient
- Identify a patient with a potential STEMI, potential stroke, or severe sepsis.
- Recognize patients that should not be in the waiting room, patient reassessments, and extended wait times.
- Knowledge of EMTALA laws, patient leaving without treatment, laws regarding minors, reportable conditions and events, and what to report to risk management.
- Identify high risk presentations in triage.
- Rapidly identify those patients with airway or respiratory compromise.
- Screen for possibility of something contagious and/or sepsis.
- Rapidly identify those patients with airway and respiratory compromise.
- Screen for the possibility of something contagious and/or sepsis.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints related to respiratory emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints related to cardiac emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints related to neurological emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints related to abdominal emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints related to endocrine emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints related to obstetric emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints related to gynecologic emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints related to male reproductive emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of ocular emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of dental, earn, most throat, and facial emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of infectious and communicable disease emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of hematologic and oncologic emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of toxicology emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of bite and sting emergencies
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of behavioral health emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of sexual assault and intimate partner violence emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of human trafficking emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of trauma emergencies.
- Identify and assess for chief complaints of burn emergencies.
- Identify active shooter/active threat emergencies.
- Recognize the need for emergency management during a disaster.
COURSE CONTENT:
A brief abstract of course content:
- Five level triage scale
- Patient arrival
- Systematic Triage Assessment process
- Rapid triage assessment
- Comprehensive triage assessment
- Emergency Department Metrics
- Pediatric specific triage issues
- Patient presentations using the Pediatric Assessment Triangle
- Length based tape
- ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Checklist
- Suspected Stroke Checklist
- Suspected Severe Sepsis Screening and Treatment Checklist
- Preventing the spread of germs
- Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
- Medical Screening Exam
- Emergency Medication Condition
- Left without being seen
- Against Medical Advice
- The ABCDE assessment
- High risk patient presentations
- Vital signs
- PQRST questions
- Advanced triage protocols/standardized orders
- Reassessment
- Chief complaints of respiratory emergencies
- Apnea, even witnessed or reported
- Difficulty breathing
- Facial/tongue swelling
- Foreign body ingestion/aspiration
- Worse case scenarios in respiratory emergencies
- Epiglottitis
- Ludwig’s angina
- Myasthenic crisis
- Peritonsillar abscess
- Pneumonia
- Pneumothorax
- Pulmonary embolus
- Chief complaints of cardiac emergencies
- Chest, jaw, neck, back, epigastric, and/or scapular pain
- Dyspnea
- Fatigue/weakness
- Palpitations
- Syncopal episode
- Worse case scenarios in cardiac emergencies
- Aortic aneurysm/dissection
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Endocarditis
- Hypertensive crisis
- Myocarditis
- Pericardial tamponade
- Pericarditis
- Pulmonary embolus
- Chief complaints in neurological emergencies
- Altered mental status
- Face and/or arm numbness, weakness, slurred speech, difficulty speaking
- Headaches
- Seizure suspected
- Worse case scenarios in neurological emergencies
- Cerebrovascular accident
- Concussion
- Coop/contra-coop injury
- Dissecting aneurysm
- Seizure
- Chief complaints in abdominal emergencies
- Abdominal flank pain
- Blood in stool and/or vomit
- Foreign body
- Heartburn/epigastric pain
- Hiccups, persistent
- Nausea/vomiting/diarrhea
- Urinary catheter problems
- Urinary problems
- Worse case scenarios in abdominal emergencies
- Appendicitis
- Boerhaave Syndrome
- Bowel obstruction
- Esophageal varices
- Pancreatitis
- Perforated bowel
- Pyelonephritis
- Chief complaints in endocrine emergencies
- Polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia
- Skin hyperpigmentation, bruising, unusual fat deposits, exophthalmos, and neck swelling
- Worse case scenarios in endocrine emergencies
- Addisonian crisis
- Cushing’s disease/syndrome
- Diabetes insipidus
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis
- Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state
- Hypoglycemia
- Myxedema crisis
- Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone
- Thyroid storm
- Chief complaints in obstetric emergencies
- Abdominal, back, and/or pelvic pain
- Absence of fetal movement
- Bleeding or passing of clots from the vagina
- Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
- Headache/blurred vision
- Leaking or gush of fluid from the vagina
- Miscarriage
- Special considerations: imminent and precipitous delivery, seizure, vomiting
- Worse case scenarios in obstetric emergencies
- Abruption placentae
- Breech fetal presentation
- Cardiomyopathy
- Eclampsia
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Fetal demise
- Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome
- Hyperemesis gravidarum
- Placenta previa
- Postpartum complications
- Preeclampsia
- Premature rupture of membranes
- Prolapsed cord
- Trauma emergencies
- Uterine rupture
- Chief complaints in gynecologic emergencies
- Pelvic pain/lower abdominal pain
- Vaginal bleeding
- Worse case scenarios in gynecologic emergencies
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Ovarian torsion
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Sexually transmitted infection
- Toxic shock syndrome
- Chief complaints in male reproductive emergencies
- Difficulty urinating
- Pain or penile discharge
- Urinary catheter problems
- Worse case scenarios in male reproductive emergencies
- Epididymitis
- Fournier’s gangrene
- Fractured penis
- Incarcerated inguinal hernia
- Priapism
- Testicular torsion
- Chief complaints in ocular emergencies
- Chemical exposure/burn to eyes
- Foreign body
- Infection of eyes
- Pain in eyes
- Trauma
- Vision loss
- Worse case scenarios in ocular emergencies
- Acute angle closed glaucoma
- Central retinal artery occlusion
- Chemical exposure/burn
- Endophthalmitis
- Hyphema
- Ischemia optic neuropathy
- Open/ruptured globe
- Orbital cellulitis
- Orbital fracture
- Penetrating object to eye
- Retinal detachment
- Retrobulbar hematoma
- Third nerve palsy
- Chief complaints of dental, ear, nose, throat, and facial emergencies
- Dysphagia
- Facial swelling/injury
- Foreign body – throat
- Sore throat (severe, rapid onset)
- Tooth avulsion/dental pain
- Worse case scenarios of dental, ear, nose, throat, and facial emergencies
- Epistaxis
- Laryngeal fracture
- Ludwig’s angina
- Peritonsillar abscess
- Permanent tooth avulsion
- Chief complaints of musculoskeletal emergencies
- Amputation (partial or complete)
- Back pain
- Bleeding, uncontrolled
- Crush injury to an extremity
- Dislocation/fracture, suspected
- High pressure injury
- Loss of function/sensation/temperature regulation to extremity
- Neck pain/injury
- Pain, severe with deformity, numbness, abnormal movement and/or color
- Worse case scenarios of musculoskeletal emergencies
- Spinal cord injury
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Compartment syndrome
- Chief complaints of infectious and communicable disease emergencies
- Fever
- Rash with fever
- Rash, rapidly progressing
- Worse case scenarios of infections and communicable disease emergencies
- COVID-19
- Diptheria
- Hemorrhagic fever
- Measles
- Meningitis
- Pertussis
- Tuberculosis
- Chief complaints of hematologic and oncologic emergencies
- Bleeding/bruising
- Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
- Dizziness/syncope
- Fever
- Headache
- Infection
- Pain
- Weakness
- Worse case scenarios of hematologic and oncologic emergencies
- Acute chest syndrome
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation
- Febrile neutropenia
- Hemophilia (A&B)
- Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia
- Spinal cord compression
- Superior vena cave syndrome
- Tumor Lysis syndrome
- Vaso-occlusive crisis
- Von Willebrand disease
- Chief complaints of toxicology emergencies
- Ingestion – central nervous system depressants (narcotics, benzodiazepines, alcohols, antihistamines)
- Withdrawal – alcohol
- Ingestion – central nervous system stimulants (cocaine, methamphetamine, caffeine/energy drinks, pseudoephedrine)
- Withdrawal – narcotics
- Worse case scenarios of toxicology emergencies
- Acetaminophen
- Alcohol
- Antidiabetic oral medications
- Calcium channel or beta blockers
- Digoxin
- Iron
- Opiates
- Organophosphate exposure
- Salicylates
- Sedatives
- Stimulants
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Chief complaints of bite and sting emergencies
- Bites – dog, cat, non-human mammals, and human
- Marine animal injuries – jellyfish, stingrays, venomous fish, and sea urchins
- Snake bites – Vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads) and Elapids (coral snakes, cobras)
- Spider bits – Black widow and brown recluse
- Stings – bee, hornet/wasp, fire ant, and scorpion
- Chief complaints of behavioral health emergencies
- Change in behavior – anxious, aggressive, violent, bizarre, agitated, manic, depressed, crying (inconsolable)
- Suicidal attempt – overdose and wound infliction
- Suicidal or homicidal thoughts with or without intent
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Worst case scenarios of behavioral health emergencies
- Agitation, aggression, or violent behavior
- Alcohol withdrawal delirium
- Eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating)
- Homicidal ideation or attempt
- Mania
- Panic disorder
- Psychotic depression
- Psychotic episode
- Suicidal ideation or attempt
- Chief complaints of sexual assault and intimate partner violence
- Sexual assault and intimate partner violence is an act perpetrated against a victim. Therefore, there is no specific chief complaints but rather a myriad of findings that may be physical, psychological, social, and behavioral.
- Chief complaints of human trafficking
- Human trafficking is an action perpetrated against victims by force, fraud, or coercion. Trafficking encompasses many labor markets.
- Chief complaints of trauma emergencies
- Amputation proximal to the wrist and ankle
- Blunt trauma – motorcycle collision, motor vehicle collision, all-terrain vehicle, recreational vehicle accident, pedestrian or vehicle/cyclist impact, large animal impact, explosion, assault, fall from a ladder, and car falling off a jack
- Falls – head injury and spinal cord injury
- Other injuries
- Penetrating trauma – gunshot/projectile, stab wound, or high pressure injury
- Worst case scenarios of trauma emergencies
- Cardiac tamponade
- Hemothorax
- Pulmonary Contusion
- Splenic injury
- Tension pneumothorax
- Chief complaints of burn injuries
- Chemical burns – contact, inhalation, injection, ingestion
- Electrical burns – contact with power lines, electrical wires, and lightening strikes
- Thermal burns – house, fire, auto, collision
- Worst case scenarios of burn injuries
- Airway compromise
- Large BSA burns
- Alkaline burns
- Alternating current exposure
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Circumferential burns
- Active shooter/active threat
- Recognition of a potential threat
- Situational awareness – weapon concealment
- Incident response for active shooter/active violence
- Prepare for law enforcement response
- Stop the bleed
- Definitions related to emergency management during a disaster
- Emergency management
- Disaster
- Disaster medical assistance team
- Risks
- Emergency operations plan
- Hospital incident command system
- Incident action plan
- Mass casualty incident
- Multiple casualty incident
- Surge capacity
- Chem Pak
- Disaster triage – START and SALT
- Hospital incident command system
- The command section
- The incident commander
- The public information officer
- The liaison officer
- The safety officer
- Medical-Technical specialists
- The general staff section
- Operations section
- Planning section
- Logistics section
- Finance/administration section
- The command section
- Disaster incidents and response
- Natural disasters
- Mass casualty incident – Trauma incidents
- Treating the bleeding
- Multicausalty/mass casualty incident – medical incidents
- Mass casualty incident – hazmat incidents
- Recommended control zones for decontamination
- Exclusion/hot/red zone
- Contamination reduction/warm/yellow zone
- Support/cold/green zone
- Common personal protective equipment for decontamination
- Level A protective ensemble
- Level B protective ensemble
- Level C protective ensemble
- Level D protective ensemble
- Donning/doffing of Level C ensemble for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear decontamination
- Multicasualty/mass casualty incident triage
- Color coded triage system
- Disaster response for vulnerable populations – pediatric, pregnant, and older adult patients.
- Critical incident stress management during and after a disaster
BEST WISHES WITH YOUR CONTINUING EDUCATION IN NURSING ASSESSMENT AND RAPID TRIAGE!