Knowledge and Practices of Triage Amongst Nurses Working in the Emergency Departments of Rural Hospitals in Limpopo Province

Abstract

Background: Many deaths in hospitals occur within 24 hours of admission. Some of these deaths could be prevented if the patients were effectively triaged, identified quickly, and treatment initiated without delay. Triage and emergency care have always been weak and under-emphasized components of healthcare systems in rural areas of Limpopo Province, and yet, if well organised, it could lead to saving many lives and reducing the ultimate costs of care. There have been few studies, and there is little information focusing on nurses’ knowledge about triage in rural hospitals. Objective: This study aims to assess the knowledge and practices of triage amongst nurses working in the Emergency Departments (ED) of the Sekhukhune District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Methods: By employing a quantitative, non-experimental research method, 84 nurses working in the Emergency Departments, completed and submitted structured questionnaires. The validity and reliability were ensured by pre-testing the data collection instrument on respondents who were not part of the main study. Data were analyzed by using the SPSS version 25, Excel computer programs and score methods. Results: The findings indicate that there is a correlation between triage knowledge and job title (p-value = 0.046). Registered nurses, specialty nurses, and enrolled nurses, were found to know more than auxiliary nurses. However, the study discovered that, among the nurses with knowledge, 61% exercised poor triage practice, while only 30% showed evidence of good practice. Conclusion: The study aims at defining triage knowledge and practice amongst nurses in the Emergency Departments. The results indicate that nurses have knowledge regarding triage but have difficulty in converting their factual knowledge into practice, as they scored poorly on questions about the practice. In addition, there emerged a significantly positive relationship between triage knowledge and job titles. The study recommends the development of strategies to enhance the conversion of factual knowledge into practice regarding triage in the ED. This could be implemented through sustainable training courses regarding triage for all the categories of nurses.

Strategies to Enhance Knowledge and Practical Skills of Triage amongst Nurses Working in the Emergency Departments of Rural Hospitals in South Africa

“…Various authors have investigated and deliberated on the level of knowledge and skills of nurses working in the ED regarding triage in South Africa [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. For instance, Phukubye, Mbombi, and Mothiba [ 6 ] reported nurses in the Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province in South Africa (SA) had an average score on knowledge of triage with poor practical skills. Similarly, a study by Dulandas and Brysiewicz [ 7 ] reported a need for a support system in educational development that will improve the competency, knowledge, and practical skill level among most emergency nurses.…”

Development and psychometric assessment of the triage nurses’ professional capability questionnaire in the emergency department

“…It is likely that the development of items according to the views of the participants has increased the reliability of the results of determining triage nurses' professional capability. This is another strength of the present study [32].…”

The knowledge of triage system in disaster among emergency medical service personnel at Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Riyadh city stations

“…Inadequate to moderate triage knowledge among EMS personnel is not restricted to this study. It has been documented by numerous studies across several countries (Sarikaya et al , 2004; Sedaghat et al , 2012; Mirhaghi and Roudbari, 2017; Kerie et al , 2018; Duko et al , 2019; Chen et al , 2003; Rahmati et al , 2013; Phukubye et al , 2019; Fry and Burr, 2001; Göransson et al , 2005; Asgari et al , 2018; Sherafat et al , 2019).…”

“…It is essential for all personnel responding to an MCI incident to share the triage fundamentals and knowledge to achieve effective coordination, communication and task sharing, which will be reflected in the accuracy of triage decisions (Frykberg, 2005). The previous studies have reported that nurses do not have sufficient knowledge about triage; the reported levels ranged from poor to moderate levels of knowledge among emergency healthcare providers (Sarikaya et al , 2004; Sapp et al , 2010; Sedaghat et al , 2012; Mirhaghi and Roudbari, 2017; Kerie et al , 2018; Duko et al , 2019; Chen et al , 2003; Rahmati et al , 2013; Phukubye et al , 2019; Fry and Burr, 2001; Göransson et al , 2005). A descriptive survey was used to examine the perception of Saudi Arabia EMS students concerning their preparedness for disaster management.…”