← Nurse Curriculum
Level 0Cardiology Nursing Foundations

Phone Triage Framework

A repeatable structure for the cardiology triage call: gather the right information, sort urgency safely, and route the patient.

Beginner~12 min
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Learning Objectives

  • 1.Run a cardiology triage call with a consistent structure.
  • 2.Ask the focused questions that determine urgency.
  • 3.Sort calls into emergent, urgent, and routine and route them.
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Purpose

Triage isn’t guessing the diagnosis — it’s safely sorting urgency. A consistent framework keeps you from missing a red flag when the phone is ringing off the hook.

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What to ask

  • •What is the main symptom, and when did it start?
  • •Is it happening right now? Getting better or worse?
  • •Any chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, or palpitations?
  • •Associated symptoms: sweating, nausea, arm/jaw pain, leg swelling, weight gain?
  • •Relevant history: known heart disease, recent procedure, new or missed medications?
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What to measure (if available)

  • •Home blood pressure and heart rate.
  • •Home weight trend (especially for heart failure patients).
  • •Pulse oximetry if they have a device.
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Sort the urgency

  1. 1.Screen for red flags first — if present, escalate/route emergently.
  2. 2.If stable but concerning, route as urgent (provider callback today).
  3. 3.If mild and non–red-flag, handle per protocol or schedule routinely.
  4. 4.When uncertain, treat as the higher urgency.

Default up, not down

If you can’t clearly place a call as routine, treat it as urgent. Over-triaging is safe; under-triaging is not.

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What to send the provider

  • •Patient identity and the one-line reason for the call.
  • •Key symptoms, timing, and any red flags.
  • •Relevant vitals/weights and pertinent history.
  • •Your assessment of urgency and what you recommend.
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Spanish phrase

When did the symptom start, and is it happening right now?

¿Cuándo comenzó el síntoma, y está ocurriendo ahora mismo?

KWAN-doh koh-men-SOH el SEEN-toh-mah, ee es-TAH oh-koo-RYEN-doh ah-OH-rah MEES-moh

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Mini case

A heart failure patient calls: up 4 lbs in 3 days, more short of breath lying flat, no chest pain, stable vitals at home.

How do you triage this?

Show answer

No emergent red flags, but rising weight + orthopnea signals early congestion — route as urgent for a same-day provider callback, and send the weight trend, symptoms, and vitals. This shouldn’t wait for a routine appointment.

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Checklist

  • I screen for red flags before anything else.
  • I capture symptom, timing, and whether it’s happening now.
  • I sort into emergent / urgent / routine and default up when unsure.
  • I send the provider a concise, prioritized summary.
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Knowledge Check Quiz

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not replace clinical judgment, and is not a substitute for institutional protocols or certified medical interpreters. No patient health information (PHI) should be entered into this application.