What Is a Triage Nurse?

‍An Inside Look from a Triage Nurse and Clinical Leader answeing the question: What is a triage nurse?

A triage nurse is a registered nurse who serves as the first clinical touchpoint for patients, using critical thinking and evidence-based protocols to assess symptoms and determine the level of care needed. Whether in a hospital setting or through a virtual telehealth platform, triage nurses are essential to streamlining access to care and ensuring patients receive timely, appropriate medical attention.

From my own experience, triage nursing is one of the most rewarding and challenging roles in nursing. I started my journey on the front lines, handling high-stakes triage calls and chat-based consultations for patients across the country. Over time, I moved into leadership, building and scaling remote triage teams, hiring and mentoring nurses, and developing workflows to optimize clinical quality and service. Today, I lead triage operations for a national telehealth company—overseeing 24/7 services that help thousands of patients every day.

What Does a Triage Nurse Do?

Triage nurses work quickly and efficiently to assess patients using clinical protocols like Schmitt-Thompson, determine the urgency of care, and guide the next steps—whether that’s advising home care, arranging a video visit, or escalating to emergency services.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assessing symptoms via phone, video, or chat
• Prioritizing patients based on acuity and safety concerns
• Educating patients on treatment options and next steps
• Escalating emergent cases to 911 or on-call providers
• Documenting accurately in electronic health records
• Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams and following up as needed

Where Do Triage Nurses Work?

Triage nurses can be found in a variety of settings, including:

• Emergency departments (EDs)
• Urgent care centers
• Nurse advice lines
• Telehealth companies
• Primary care and specialty clinics
• Insurance companies and payers (for nurse hotline services)

With the shift toward remote care, triage nurses now increasingly work from home. This role is ideal for nurses who thrive in autonomous environments and have excellent communication and multitasking skills.

Why Triage Nursing Matters

In my leadership role, I’ve seen firsthand how impactful triage nurses can be—not just in preventing unnecessary ER visits, but in delivering calm, compassionate guidance during stressful moments. Our teams have helped reduce avoidable hospitalizations, improved patient satisfaction, and played a key part in health systems meeting quality and safety benchmarks. Triage nurses are clinical decision-makers, educators, and advocates—all rolled into one.

Want to Become a Triage Nurse?

If you're interested in breaking into this high-impact field, we've created the perfect resource to help you get started.

👉 Read Our Ultimate Guide to Triage Nursing – It covers everything from must-have skills and certifications to resume tips, interview prep, and insights from real nurses working in remote triage roles.

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