KNOWLEDGE REGARDING TRIAGE PROTOCOLS AMONG NURSES IN ACCIDENTAL AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS

Abstract

Background: A crucial part of emergency treatment is triage, which comes from the French term "trier," which means to sort or choose. Optimizing patient outcomes in emergency and accident departments depends on registered nurses' (RNs') prompt and precise triage judgments. Triage efficacy, however, can be caused by a number of issues, including congestion, training gaps, and lack of expertise. Aims and Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the triage knowledge of registered nurses employed by tertiary care hospitals emergency and accidental department. Assessing their triage expertise, determining impacting variables including education and experience, and proposing treatments to improve decision-making in emergency situations were among the goals. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. A convenient sampling strategy was used to choose a total of 72 nurses with diplomas and degrees. A systematic, closed-ended questionnaire was used to gather data. Permanent nurses employed by the hospital's emergency and accidental departments met the inclusion requirements. Descriptive statistics were used in the data analysis to compile demographic traits and knowledge levels. Result: According to the survey, 68.1% of participants had only a basic nursing degree, and 75% of participants had only 0–5 years of experience. Fewer had received practical instruction, even though 59.7% had attended seminars. There were clear knowledge gaps: just 41.7% of respondents chose the correct triage color (black) for patients who had passed away, and only 66.7% correctly identified the red group for immediate priority. Furthermore, there was a lack of clarity on the duties of triage nurses, as evidenced by 34.7% of respondents.