Telephone Triage and Nurse consultants often work in dedicated "Call Centers" these days, simply to handle the large volume of calls to and from patients. In order to do this, Triage Nurses and managers learn new skills and details about telephones, headsets, personal computers with sophisticated application software, ACD's (automatic call distributors), ergonomics and more. These are certainly not skills we were taught in nursing school!
The learning curve is steep and requires a quick grasp of rather technical information, even if you have internal resources to help you. Internet sites listed as "telemarketing" related often contain juicy information on call center operations. I have found that having adequate knowledge of expected challenges is your best approach to running a busy nursing call center, and encourage you learn all you can. What seems like a minor item - for example, uncomfortable headsets - can be a major source of irritation to your nursing staff in day to day activities.
I hope the following links give you assistance in learning more about call center management. I have purposefully shied from sites that are steeped in commericialism, and make no personal endorsement of any of the resources here. The purpose of this page is "education".
If anyone knows of sites in this category with good educational information, send email to webster@katsden.com and I will add them -- if they are appropriate. I will not add a commercial site that does not have substantial information for the Call Center Nurse or Manager!
You may also want to visit my ergonomics page. A good understanding of the basic of ergonomics in a Call Center can make working conditions more comfortable for both you and your staff.
General Resources
- American Demographics
- home base on the Internet for this well-known magazine.
- AntiTeleMarketing Source - website dedicated to the "cause of providing the public with a humorous and informative way of battling unwanted telephone sales calls".
- Call Center Home Page
- mostly a subscription page for the magazine that writes about call center services and products. However there is a conference list and hot links to related sites.
- Call Ctr focus - UK
- "the telebusiness magazine online" from the United Kingdom, it boasts of 100 pages of news, views, products and events in Europe. The official mag of the Call Centre Management Association. Most resources are from Europe, but includes some U.S. seminars. Also has a few pearls, in the form of online articles. Check it out. Registration required.
- Call Center Network Group - website home to CCNG International, Inc., who is "Committed to call center education".
- CTI Directory - A detailed list of over 155 companies providing computer telephony or telecommunications services.
- CTI Glossary - A dynamic and up-to-date glossary of terms used in voice processing, fax processing, and computer telephony integration.
- Glossary of Computer Telephony Terms - from GeoTel, the A-Z's of telephony.
- Incoming Call Centers Management Institute [ICMI] - includes a "service level" newsletters, classes available, conferences. Some humorous sections, and goodness knows that call centers need a good injection of humor!
- Recommended Guidelines for Responsible Computing
- from BMI/Electrotek, has an excellent framework for responsible computing with a bibliography.
- SalesDoctor Magazine - online magazine geared toward "sales" with some interesting articles.
- Service News Magazine
- a very "techie" magazine, mostly focused on computer software support, but contains some interesting information about telephony and the communication industry.
- Technology Marketing Corporation Online
- TMCNet, from the publishers of Telemarketing ®. Includes a 'news listing', services, publications (selected articles and some free/trial issues), and tradeshow information.
- Telecom Forum
- a comprehensive source of information on the telecommunications industry. Includes news headlines and tradeshow resources.
- The Telem@rket
- for the "exchange of information on telemarketing and call center issues". Includes an interesting "online" web forum for generic "call center" discussions and legal (telemarketing) related topics.
- Telecommunications Terms - a glossary of terms and common acronyms found in voice processing systems, from Microlog.
- TelePlaza
- Designed to supply information on the telemarketing industry. Interesting features include: Legistration, large listing of product/services for comparison, and trade questions.
People Resources
Electronic Monitoring in the Workplace - a project page from a computer course a Stanford entitled "Computers, Ethics, and Social Responsibility".
Employee Monitoring - Is There Privacy In the Workplace - factsheet on employer/employee rights when listening in on
phone calls (for quality purposes), computer privacy, electronic and voice mail, and other related issues. From the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
Employment Background Checks - text file from the USD Center for Public Interest Law. Interesting reading.
Facilitation - Catalyst for Change - interesting information from IBM related to the "team" approach. Most call centers acknowledge it is a "team" effort to be the best. In addition, some nursing call centers are using the "shared governance" model. This is worth reading.
TeleWorking Conference 2/95 - notes from a conference on women working from home via telephone connections.
Specialty Call Centers and Related Information
- Don Crisman's Home Page - dedicated to Emergency Medical Services. For the exchange of ideas, information and stories.
- EmergencyNet - links to Fire, Police and EMS sites on the web.
- Emergency Services WWW List Site - Comprehensive list of links to Fire, EMS, Disaster, and related sites.
- Nat'l Collegiate EMS Foundation - contingent of college based EMS groups. Over 150 schools are members. Clearinghouse of information and list services.
- Telephone Triage Nursing and Consultation - site specializing in nursing and telephone advice centers. Recent conferences, organizations, more. From The WEBster.
- Toxicology Resource Home Page
- Includes information on Poison Control Centers, the ACEP policy statement, regional certification info, and a mailing list..
Related Articles on the Internet
- Custom TeleMarketing Services - Trade and business related articles about market share, outsource telemarketing, customer satisfaction, and more.
- How Private Is My Medical Information? - Medical record law advice from the USD Center for Public Interest Law.
- Personal Emergency Response Systems
- Good advice from the FTC about "PERS" use (electronic devices to summon help). Some Center Centers also manage PERS systems for their health care system.
- Straight Facts about Telemarketing
- from the Federal Trade Commission, geared at consumers.
- Telemarketing Sales Rule
- more information from the Federal Trade Commission, specific to the law and telemarketing.
- Telephone Scams and Older Consumers
- another great advice pamphlet for older adults from the FTC.
- TeleRecruiting in a Hostile Environment - challenges of a telecenter for blood donations from an Executone Marketing Manager.
The webmaster of Webster's Telephone Triage Nursing website
can be reached by e-mail at webster@katsden.com
Last updated: June 1997
Copyright © Kathi Webster, 1996, 1997. All rights reserved.
