TH 530 - Psychiatric & Mental Health Triage

Course overview

Quick and correct thinking is the difference between life and death in the emergency department. Healthcare professionals from staff to nurses to physicians need to make correct diagnosis and assessments under the duress of unpredictable, sometimes aggressive, and life altering circumstances. They must be the calm in the storm and with discipline perform their duties to save lives. This course looks at the numerous assessments for both physical and psychiatric triage and helps orientate the student to the proper methods and procedures to follow for a variety of dangerous and life-threatening situations. Situations that not only involve physical injury requiring medical care, but also situations that involve suicidal patients, intoxicated patients, overdosing patients, confused patients, aggressive patients, as well as patients of different ages, or background. In addition, this course reviews the many ethical, legal, and moral obligations an ED health professional must employ to properly conduct oneself.