Triage Nurse

Prepared on November 3, 2025

Department	Wellness Center
Reports To	Health Director
Type of Employment	Full-Time
Work Hours	40 hours Monday- Friday
Salary	$98,000 - $110,000 DOE

Summary

The Registered Nurse (RN) Triage Nurse provides professional nursing and limited provider services within the Shoalwater Bay Wellness Center. This position performs patient triage, assessment, diagnosis, and care planning under approved clinical protocols and standing orders established by the supervising provider and Health Director. The RN Triage Nurse supports both tribal and non-tribal patients, manages patient visits independently when appropriate, and contributes to continuity of care within the primary care team. The RN Triage Nurse is a key member of the clinical team responsible for evaluating patient needs, ordering and interpreting routine diagnostic tests within scope, providing evidence-based treatment, and ensuring timely referrals to higher levels of care as necessary. This role helps maintain patient flow, alleviate provider workload, and ensure access to high-quality, culturally grounded care.

Job Description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Include the following, other duties may be assigned.

Uphold and support the mission, objectives, and policies of the Shoalwater Bay Wellness Center.
Conduct focused clinical assessments and initiate nursing diagnoses and interventions under approved standing orders and clinic protocols.
Evaluate tribal and non-tribal patients to determine care needs and implement nursing care plans in collaboration with supervising providers.
Order and perform point-of-care and routine diagnostic tests as authorized under standing orders; interpret and document results within nursing scope.
Manage acute and chronic conditions through nursing interventions and coordination with licensed providers.
Provide patient education and counseling on disease management, medication adherence, preventive care, and healthy lifestyles.
Refer patients for medical diagnosis or advanced treatment when outside the nursing scope of practice.
Participate in same-day access and walk-in visits to assist with patient flow and ensure timely access to care.
Respond promptly to incoming telephone calls and assess reported symptoms to determine the appropriate level of care (emergent, urgent, non-urgent, or home care).
Provide home-care instructions using approved written guidelines and evidence-based reference materials.
Utilize available resources to assess, prioritize, advise, schedule appointments, or refer calls appropriately.
Document all triage encounters in the electronic health record (EPIC) according to clinic policy and forward to the appropriate provider.
Triage walk-in patients presenting with urgent or emergent conditions (e.g., chest pain, blood-pressure checks).
Communicate with patients via MyChart messenger, telephone, or in person for follow-up care and education.
Coordinate with home-health agencies, social services, and Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) to ensure continuity of care.
Schedule and administer immunizations and injections under provider orders or standing orders.
Assist providers with examinations and procedures as requested.
Perform wound care, dressing changes, and suture removal as ordered.
Collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests; serve as backup laboratory technician when needed.
Draw blood and prepare specimens for processing according to laboratory protocols.
Escort patients to and from exam rooms, provider offices, and treatment rooms as appropriate.
Record patient data in the electronic health record prior to provider visits, including vital signs, height, weight, allergies, reason for visit, and current medications (including OTC and supplements).
Obtain required patient records and verify consent prior to treatment or procedures.
Schedule patient tests, procedures, and hospital admissions; follow up on results and ensure documentation is complete.
Inform providers of patient reschedules or no-shows.
Perform medication prior authorizations and refill requests in accordance with policy and provider direction.
Serve as backup for prior authorizations and the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) when assigned staff are unavailable.
Coordinate immunization activities with the Washington State Department of Health, including logging, inventory management, expiration tracking, and outbreak coordination.
Serve as backup immunization coordinator in the absence of the designated nurse or MA.
Prepare and stock exam and treatment rooms and maintain supply inventories and logs:
Daily immunization freezer/refrigerator temperature checks.
Weekly replacement of sharps containers and supply restock.
Weekly liquid-nitrogen checks.
Monthly inspection of sample closet, crash cart, and oxygen tanks.
Maintain strict infection-control and disinfection protocols for all clinical areas.
Process and sterilize instruments and equipment as required; serve as backup for instrument processing as needed.
Participate in quality-improvement initiatives, infection-control audits, and medical-planning activities.
Maintain current, active Washington State RN licensure, continuing-education requirements, and CPR/BLS certification.
Adhere to CDC, OSHA, and Washington State Department of Health standards for workplace safety.
Follow universal precautions and assist with emergency or disaster response as assigned.
Observe strict patient confidentiality and all HIPAA regulations.
Check out post-appointments with patients to ensure continuity of care.
Serve as backup for Medical Assistants, assisting with rooming, documentation, and patient preparation as needed.
Serve as backup for Referral staff, assisting with coordination, documentation, and communication of external referrals.
Serve as backup for Laboratory operations when the primary and secondary lab staff are unavailable.
Serve as backup infection-control and employee-health nurse as assigned.
Collaborate effectively with providers, Medical Clinic Coordinator, the Health Director, and all clinic staff to ensure safe, culturally responsive patient care.
Answer patient telephone calls and direct them appropriately to providers or nursing staff.
Perform administrative support duties such as letter writing, faxing, and filing.
Engage in professional development and continuing education to enhance clinical competence and leadership skills.
Participate in policy and protocol development, quality assurance, and staff education activities as assigned.
Perform any additional duties assigned by the Health Director or supervising provider that support safe, efficient, and culturally appropriate care delivery.

Safety

Demonstrates knowledge of CDC, Dept. of Health, OSHA standard as it applies to the clinic environment.
Adheres to universal precautions.
Duties as assigned during emergencies/disasters.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by a person in this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties that may be performed in such a position.

Supervisory Requirements

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Graduate of an accredited school for Register Nursing
Currently registered in the State of Washington
minimum practice of family medicine or health care clinic of 3 years
Participation in continuing education programs
Familiarity/experience with EPIC
BLS certification

Experience and Eduction

The candidate must be a graduate of an accredited school of Registered Nursing and currently licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Washington. A minimum of three (3) years of experience in a family medicine or healthcare clinic setting is required. Ongoing participation in continuing education programs is expected to maintain professional competency and licensure. Familiarity and experience with the EPIC electronic health record system are preferred, and current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) is required.

Graduate of an accredited school for Register Nursing
Currently registered in the State of Washington
minimum practice of family medicine or health care clinic of 3 years
Participation in continuing education programs
Familiarity/experience with EPIC
BLS certification

Skills

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and comprehend instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

Essential Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Interpersonal Skills – Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.

Oral Communication – Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and obtains clarification; responds well to questions; demonstrates group presentation skills, participates in meetings.

Written Communication – Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet needs; present numerical data effectively; able to read and interpret written information.

Teamwork – Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others views; give and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.

Ethics – Treats people with respect; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity and ethically; upholds organizational values.

Professionalism – Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions.

Safety and Security – Observes safety and security procedures; reports potentially unsafe conditions; uses equipment and materials properly.

Dependability – Follows instructions; responds to management direction; takes responsibility for own actions; commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternative plan.

Attendance and Punctuality – Is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; arrives at meetings and appointments on time.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Common office environment.

At-Will Employment

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employee(s) will be required to follow any other job related instructions and to perform any other job related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

The employment relationship with Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe is voluntary; there is no specified length of employment. Accordingly, either the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe or the employee may terminate the employment relationship at will, with or without cause, at any time, so long as there is no violation of applicable federal or state law.

This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise.

Indian Preference

Indian preference will be exercised in the hiring of this position in accordance with Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe’s policy 181 within the Tribes Employee Handbook.

Benefits

After 60 days of employment

Medical
Vision
Dental
Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage
Short term disability
Long term disability
Disability resources

After 90 days of employment

Annual Leave accrual
Sick Leave accrual
Bereavement Leave
Military Leave
Jury Duty Leave
Paid Holidays

After 1 year of employment

401K contribution

Work Location	Work on Location Premises 2373 Old Tokeland Rd. Bldg E Tokeland, WA 98590
Job Posting Valid Through	Valid until filled
Position Start Date	Immediately