Concept Analysis of Triage Competency in Emergency Nursing

Moon, Sun Hee; Park, Yeon Hwan

Original Article

Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing 2017;10(3):41-52.
Published online October 31, 2017.

응급실 간호사의 중증도 분류 역량에 대한 개념분석

문선희, 박연환

¹광주대학교 보건복지교육대학 간호학과
²서울대학교 간호대학

Concept Analysis of Triage Competency in Emergency Nursing

Sun Hee Moon, Yeon Hwan Park

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, College of Health and Welfare and Education, Gwangju University, Gwangju, Korea.
²Professor, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. hanipyh@snu.ac.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE
This concept analysis identified attributes and defined triage competency among emergency nurses.
METHOD
Walker and Avant's approach was used to guide the concept analysis. A literature review was completed including 26 studies, 5 reports of related associations, and 5 books.
RESULTS
The concept of triage competency in emergency nurses was identified as five attributes: clinical judgment, expert assessment, management of medical resources, timely decision, and communication. Antecedents of the concept were triage education and emergency room experience. The consequences of the concept were efficiency of care, patient rating, and safety. Triage competency in emergency nurses was defined as the comprehensive ability to prioritize patients' urgency and allocate limited medical resources.
CONCLUSION
This study is meaningful since it clarified triage competency among emergency nurses. The attributes and empirical indicators of this study will likely lay the foundation for development of triage competency metrics.

Key Words: Concept analysis, Triage, Clinical competence, Emergency nursing