The Role Descriptions of Triage Nurse in Emergency Department: A Delphi Study
Table 1
Participants’ responses to the questionnaire.
Items
First round% ()
Second round% ()
Third round% ()
Prioritizing patients must be based on patients’ acuity
100
86
91
Prioritizing patients must not be affected by ED overcrowding and financial status of patients
66
86
100
Triage decisions must be made based on evidence
100
100
100
Triage decisions must be made based on reliable and valid algorithm
100
100
100
Triage nurse is responsible for patients status until the first physician visit
66
71
—
Patients must be assigned to the triage levels based on relevant acuity
100
100
100
Nurses are not allowed to reject patients from ED
100
93
95
Nurses must be committed to the patient bill of rights
100
100
100
Nurses must identify themselves to patients
100
100
100
Nurses must have empathy toward patients
66
64
—
Patients’ culture and value must be respected by triage nurses
100
93
100
Triage nurses must manage ethical conflict in triage decisions
100
93
91
Triage nurses must manage aggressive patients effectively
100
93
86
Triage nurses must have patience
100
100
77
Triage nurses must handle conflict in a tactful manner
100
57
—
Triage nurses must have interpersonal skills
100
100
100
Triage nurses must perform the first assessment in the ED
100
100
100
Triage nurses must estimate life-threatening risk of chief complaints
100
100
100
Except in life-threatening conditions, triage nurses must observe patients at least in 2 minutes
66
86
82
Triage nurses must prioritize patients based on assessing respirations, pulse rate, blood pressure, temperature, O2 saturation, and other diagnostic measures
66
93
100
Patients should be reassessed when needed
100
100
100
Triage decisions must be recorded
100
100
100
Triage nurses must follow organization’s guidelines during decision making
66
86
90
In case of doubt, triage nurses must consult with attending physician or head nurse
100
93
100
In case of doubt, triage nurses must assign patient to the higher level of acuity
100
100
100
Triage nurses must reconsider their decisions if requested from medical directors
100
64
—
Level I patients must be directed to the CPR room promptly
100
93
100
Level I patients must be handed over to the emergency nurses
100
71
—
Patients must be informed in either verbal or written way regarding their assigned triage level
66
64
—
Patients must be informed that they must inform triage nurses in case of deterioration in their health status
100
86
77
Triage nurses must explain waiting time to the first visit
66
93
82
Triage nurses must explain necessary information relating to the patient condition
100
71
—
Triage nurses must explain necessary information relating to alternative facilities for care and treatment
100
71
—
Triage nurses must be aware of alternative health care facilities
100
93
91
Triage nurses must have a minimum degree of BS in nursing
100
93
82
Triage nurses must have a minimum 2-year experience in ED
100
100
100
Triage nurses must have a minimum 40-hour educational courses annually
66
100
73
Nurses must be knowledgeable about clinical semiology
100
100
100
Nurses must be knowledgeable about advanced and basic adult life support
100
86
82
Nurses must be knowledgeable about emergencies
100
100
100
Nurses must be knowledgeable about gynecological, maternal, neonatal, children, and geriatrics emergencies
100
100
100
Nurses must be knowledgeable about outcome of disease
100
71
—
Nurses must participate in at least one emergency research
100
50
—
Triage room must be somewhere between emergency department and security room
100
100
100
Triage room must be easily recognizable for patients
100
100
100
Triage room must have an appropriate view on entrance of ED
100
100
100
Triage room must be accessible for ambulances, stretchers, and wheelchairs
100
100
100
Triage room must be at least 12 square meters
100
79
—
Triage room must be equipped for professionals standard infection control precautions
100
93
82
Triage room must have alarm, telephone, and closed-circuit television
100
100
100
Triage nurses are responsible for facilities of triage room
100
79
—
Triage nurses are not permitted to leave the triage room, except for handing over level I patients
100
86
77
Triage nurses must document triage assignments
100
93
100
Triage nurses must report daily and monthly statistics of triage
100
93
100
Triage nurses must consider hospital facilities when assigning patients to triage level
—
Proposed
82
Diagnostic related interventions must be performed by triage nurses
—
Proposed
41
Therapeutic related interventions must be performed by triage nurses
—
Proposed
55
Physician must participate in prioritizing of patients in triage room
