Effects of Nursing Education Regarding safely directing patients to appropriate levels of care guidelinesdriven of triage in the emergency service among Nurses
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71395/ijhp.1.2.2024.14-18Abstract
Background and Objectives: Triage in emergency departments is vital for prioritizing patient care, and its effectiveness hinges on the skills and decision-making abilities of nurses. Nursing education is essential in enhancing these competencies, reducing the risk of errors such as over- or under-triage, and ensuring patient safety. Evidence-based education and ongoing training equip nurses to make informed decisions, leading to more efficient and effective emergency care. To determine the baseline knowledge of nurses regarding triage and appropriate level of care before the educational interventions. To evaluate the impact of nursing education on overall emergency department efficiency and improving nurses' triage knowledge and practice.
METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional quantitative study design was used. The study was conducted in a Ali Fatima Hospital emergency department. The study sample consisted of 30 participants emergency nurses (female), randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=30). , involving a pre- test and post-test assessment of triage accuracy among nurses .The intervention group received a comprehensive triage education program, which included theoretical training, practical simulations, and case study analyses.
RESULTS: Triage accuracy was measured using a validated triage assessment tool, with pre-test data collected prior to the educational intervention and post-test data collected one month after the intervention. Secondary outcomes included nurse confidence levels in triage decision making, assessed via a self-reported questionnaire. The intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in triage accuracy post intervention (p < 0.01). Additionally, nurses in the intervention group reported higher confidence levels in their triage decisions post-training.
CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that targeted nursing education significantly enhances the ability of nurses to accurately and safely direct patients to the appropriate level of care in a triage setting. This underscores the importance of ongoing education and training programs to improve triage practices and patient outcomes.
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