Effectiveness of Promoting Triage Knowledge and Skills Program on Registered Nurses in Emergency Department, Ratchaburi Hospital

Abstract

Objectives: To study the effectiveness of a promoting triage knowledge and skills program on registered nurses in Emergency Department.

Methods: A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest study was conducted. The study involved 37 professional nurses working in the Emergency Department of Ratchaburi Hospital. Participants received a promoting triage knowledge and skills program delivered in two sessions between December 15, 2024, and January 15, 2025. Data was collected using a knowledge and skill assessment tool based on the Emergency Severity Index. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.41 years (SD = 10.86). Of these, 37.84% had specialized training in emergency nursing, and 59.46% had prior triage training. Following   the program, the percentage of correct patient triage by the participants increased to 70.38%. Over-triage decreased to 17.03%, and under-triage decreased to 12.59%. A statistically significant improvement in the knowledge and skills in patient triage of nurses was observed after the program compared to before the program (35.19 ± 4.20 and 22.35 ± 3.68; p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The program was effective in enhancing the knowledge and triage skills of registered nurses in the Emergency Department, improving their ability to correctly triage patients.