Teen Heroes · ages 13 to 17
Teen Heroes HQ
Real hospital shifts. Triage patients, read vital signs and hand off like real staff.
Your rank
Volunteer
0 XP
Practice only. All patients are made up, and nothing here is real medical advice. In a real emergency, call 911 or tell a grown-up.
Health careers
What each job does and roughly how long the training takes after high school. Times vary by state and school.
How triage works
Triage means sorting patients so the sickest are seen first. Many US emergency rooms use a 5-level scale called the Emergency Severity Index (ESI). Level 1 is the most urgent.
| Level | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Needs life-saving help right now. | Not breathing; a serious allergic reaction with trouble breathing. |
| 2 | High risk. Should not wait. Confused, in severe pain, or vital signs in the danger zone. | Chest pain in an adult; a young baby with a fever. |
| 3 | Stable, but will need two or more resources (like lab tests, X-rays or an IV). | Belly pain that needs blood tests and an ultrasound. |
| 4 | Stable, needs one resource. | A wrist that needs an X-ray; a cut that needs stitches. |
| 5 | Stable, needs no resources beyond a check-up. | A mild rash; a note for school. |
SBAR handoff
When a nurse hands a patient to the next shift, they use SBAR so nothing gets missed: Situation (what's happening now), Background (age, history, allergies), Assessment (vital signs and how sick they are), Recommendation (what should happen next).