J Korean Acad Adult Nurs.  1998 Apr;10(1):184-197.

A Study of Triage Nurse Systems in the Emergency Department

• Suh HW
• Kim KJ

Abstract

Emergency nursing intervention should be provided to patients under fatal status with much quickness and accuracy. To improve the quality of emergency medical service, triage nurse systems, being implemented in advanced hospitals which successfully provide effective emergency services, are considered in this thesis. A triage nurse is defined as a nurse who first and immediately meets the patient at the very entrance of emergency department, and performs proper intervention according to the extent of injury. Triage functions include interviewing patients, physical evaluation, classifying patients, assigning nurses/doctors, and beds, performing preliminarily required tests and remedies, re-evaluation of waiting patients, emotional supports, arranging future medical services, and education. In Korea, triage nurse systems have not yet been introduced, however, some prleminary types of triage systems are being practised. The purpose of this thesis was to review the triage functions implemented in Korean emergency department and then to suggest a model of triage nurse system for Korean emergency departments. For field study, 10 emergency departments in Seoul, which have more than 13 nurses, are selected, and a nurse who have more than 1 year experience in emergency department was interviewed from each workshift, i.e. day, evening, and night. Data collection taken 17 days from Apr. 8 to Apr. 30, 1996. In the field study, we reviewed the triage functions performed in Korean emergency departments. 40.9% of interviewed nurses show that the triage functions are performed by general nurses, 18.42% and 10.15% indicate that the functions were performed by charge nurses and assigned nurses, respectively. Thus, triage nurse systems where pre-assigned nurses consistently perform triage functions were not yet introduced in Korean emergency departments. However, 96.7% of the nurses answered that triage systems are needed in their emergency departments and 82.77% showed that triage functions would be performed at the entrance of emergency department. A triage nurse systems will unload stresses which both patients and supporters cope with, provide secure and comfortable medical environments, and reduce the waiting time. Finally, it may be improve the patients' and supporters' satisfaction. Therefore, this study provides basic data to enhance emergency medical services and leads to a future study to implement and extend specialized nursing systems in emergency departments.

MeSH Terms

Data Collection
Education
Emergencies*
Emergency Medical Services
Emergency Nursing
Emergency Service, Hospital*
Humans
Korea
Nursing
Nursing, Supervisory
Seoul
Triage*