A triage nurse will escort you and your child to the Assessment and Triage area from Patient Registration. You might hear some parents and even hospital staff call Assessment and Triage “weights and measures.” In this area, a nurse checks your child’s temperature, blood pressure and pulse, as well as height and weight. In many cases, the staff will take blood samples.
The triage nurse will show you how to get around the hospital and the ACU. This staff member will also follow-up with you for the next few days to make sure you have met staff in other service areas, such as Child Life, Social Work, and Patient Registration. Feel free to call on the triage nurse if you have problems or questions.
If you are in the hospital, dial 0, and ask the operator to page the ACU triage nurse. If you are in the local area, dial 595-3300. If you are outside the Memphis area, call toll-free 1-866-2STJUDE (1-866-278-5833), press 0.
Meeting the Clinician
After your child's assessment and check-in, you will meet with a St. Jude clinician—a doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant.
If you brought any information from your hometown doctor or hospital, it will be reviewed with you at this time. The clinician will ask you and your child more health questions to add to the medical chart. After an exam, the clinician might order tests.
Some tests might be performed the first day you arrive; other tests will be set up over the next few days. The tests are different for each child. The staff will explain all tests to you. Test results are needed to be sure of your child's diagnosis (disease or condition). The tests also help decide what treatments your child will need. If you have questions, please ask.