Triage Qualifications and Competency Position Statement-Triage Qualifications and Competency Position Statement

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Triage is a critical assessment process performed by experienced registered nurses or nurse practitioners in emergency care. These healthcare professionals must have a minimum of one year of emergency nursing experience and additional credentials in emergency nursing, trauma, pediatrics, and cardiac care. They must complete a comprehensive, evidence-based triage education course and engage in ongoing competency validation, which includes observation and chart review. It is the responsibility of emergency department leadership to ensure that nurses receive appropriate education and demonstrate the necessary knowledge and skills for successful triage. Emergency nurses also support and participate in research on the triage process and patient outcomes in the emergency care setting.<br /><br />The process of triage involves collecting patient information, performing a focused assessment, assigning an acuity level, and prioritizing the needs of the patient in a timely manner. It requires nurses to establish boundaries of physiological and psychological stability and predict the potential trajectory of the patient's condition. Reliable and valid triage scales, such as the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) or the Canadian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), are recommended by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA).<br /><br />Experience in emergency nursing or triage is not enough to ensure initial or ongoing competency in triage. Less experienced nurses may strictly adhere to protocols, while experienced nurses may rely too heavily on their own interpretation of clinical signs and symptoms. Factors such as ED crowding can also contribute to subjectivity and inconsistency in triage decisions. Mis-triage or incorrect triage acuity level assignment can lead to delays in treatment, compromising patient outcomes. Therefore, triage competency assessment should be an ongoing process to maintain the quality, safety, and efficacy of nursing care in emergency settings.<br /><br />Resources for triage education and assessment include the Emergency Nurses Association's Emergency Nursing Triage Course, as well as online courses, simulations, and case studies. Collaboration and research in the field of triage decision-making are essential to further understanding and improving the triage process in emergency care.

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triage ESI

triage assignation

triage clinical decision

triage CTAS

triage competency

triage assessment

triage sorting

Keywords

Triage

assessment process

emergency care

emergency nursing

patient outcomes

acuity level

triage scales

mis-triage

nursing care

triage education