Evaluating the Knowledge of Emergency Nurses of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Jiroft on In-Hospital Triage

Hospital triage is part of the structure of the emergency department, which is performed by nurses. Little information is available about the level of nurses' knowledge of triage. The present study was performed with the aim of evaluating the knowledge of nurses in the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jiroft, Iran, on hospital triage.

This study was a cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study. Census method was used for sampling and 60 of the emergency personnel of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jiroft, Iran in 2019 were selected entered the study. Data were gathered using a valid and reliable questionnaire. After codifying and entering the data, they were analyzed using STATA statistical software and descriptive and analytical statistical tests.

60 of the emergency personnel of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Jiroft entered the study. The mean age of the staff was 30.43 ± 8.23 years, the minimum age of the participants was 23 years and the maximum was 51 years. The mean score of nurses' knowledge was 11.2 ± 3.84. Among the studied staff, 39 (65%) had poor scores, while only 21 (35%) had moderate scores. There was no significant correlation between demographic variables and knowledge score.

Nurses' poor knowledge on hospital triage can be due to the lack of formal specialized triage training courses and the lack of obligation for emergency departments to make evidence-based decisions. Considering that guidelines in this regard are very important and necessary and not adhering to them might put the life of the patients at risk, workshops need to be held for the personnel in this regard to improve the level of knowledge of nurses.