Assessment of Knowledge of Triage and Its Barriers among Nurses working at Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Triage is a critical process in emergency care that involves the timely and accurate identification of patients who require immediate treatment, distinguishing them from those whose conditions are less urgent and can safely wait for medical attention.

Objectives: To measure the level of triage knowledge among emergency department nurses and to identify barriers that may affect triage knowledge and decision-making among emergency department nurses.

Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted at Indus Hospital Tando Muhammad Khan, a sample of 48 nurses was drawn using open epi software through given population of 54 nurses, 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error. Data was collected through structured questionnaire consisted of triage knowledge and its correlated factors. Data was analyzed through SPSS.

Results: The majority of nurses (54.2%) demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge. Additionally, 29.2% of participants showed a good level of knowledge, while 16.7% had poor knowledge. These results indicate that although a significant portion of nurses have moderate to good understanding of triage.

Conclusion: Overall, the findings underscore the need for comprehensive strategies aimed at strengthening triage competencies among emergency nurses. These should include structured continuing education, the development and implementation of clear triage guidelines, and improvements in workplace conditions.

Keywords: Triage, nurses, knowledge.