Effect of triage training on nurses with Emergency severity index and Australian triage scale: Α quasi-experimental study.

INTRODUCTION

Triage training has positive effects on health professionals, the quality of indicators in emergency departments, and the patients. However, data on the effectiveness of triage training on nurses with two different triage scales is limited.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a triage training program in Emergency Departments (EDs), as well as the effect on the accuracy, knowledge, and skills of nurses working in the National Health System of Greece.

METHODS

Α quasi-experimental study was carried out, with measurements taken pre-, post-, and three months after implementing the education program. Data were collected between March 2021 and July 2022. Eligible participants for this study included nurses employed in the hospital units of the 4 Health Region of the National Health System. A total of 117 nurses participated in the study. Skills, knowledge, and accuracy were assessed using the Emergency Severity Index and the Australian Triage Scale.

RESULTS

After completing the training program, there was a noticeable improvement in the nurses' performance. Their triage skills displayed an overall statistically significant increase (p < 0.001) and, more crucially, in the subscales of rapid patient assessment skills, patient categorization skills, and patient allocation skills. Additionally, statistically significant increases were observed for triage knowledge and for both screening scales that measured triage accuracy, namely the Emergency Severity Index (p < 0.001) and the Australian Triage Scale (p < 0.001). In addition, the number of over-triage and under-triage cases decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

The education program had a positive impact on the nurses, resulting in a statistically significant increase in their triage skills and knowledge. Moreover, the use of both triage scales resulted in an increase in the triage accuracy. The increase in triage skills, knowledge, and accuracy decreased after three months.