• To refresh your knowledge of the aims of and processes involved in triage
• To enhance your understanding of the strategies you can use to make triage as safe and effective as possible for patients and staff
• To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers)
• To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)
Triage is the first stage of a patient’s journey through the emergency department and is used to determine patient acuity. There is no single quantifiable metric for determining acuity, which amalgamates different factors that are more or less relevant depending on the patient’s presentation. This article explains the aim and process of triage and how nurses can ensure the process is effective and safe. The author discusses strategies nurses can use to mitigate uncertainty and to make their acuity assessments rapid, targeted and comprehensive. The author also highlights triage safety considerations, including infection prevention and control and the physical and emotional safety of patients and staff.
Emergency Nurse. 32, 5, 34-41. doi: 10.7748/en.2024.e2205
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Citation Gorick H (2024) Ensuring effectiveness and safety in emergency department triage. Emergency Nurse. doi: 10.7748/en.2024.e2205
AcknowledgementsThe author would like to thank Dr Amy Zile for their advice and guidance about the disclosure of emotional trauma and the effects of the normalisation of stress
Published online: 23 July 2024
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