Triage knowledge, perceived skills, and associated factors among nurses working in adult emergency departments of selected public hospitals in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, 2023: multicenter cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: Triage is an essential function in the emergency department. Knowledge of nurses working in triage has been cited as an influential factor in triage decision-making. As there are increased numbers of clients with life-threatening traumatic injuries and medical patients in the emergency department in Addis-Ababa, triage knowledge and skill are essential competencies required for the nurses working in the emergency department.

Objective: To assess nurses' knowledge and perceived skills towards triage and associated factors among nurses working in the adult emergency department of selected public hospitals in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, 2023.

Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional study design was used. Three hospitals were purposefully selected. A census sampling technique was used to obtain the required sample size. Data was collected by an open data kit (ODK) version 2022.1.2. Then, it was exported to SPSS version 27 for final analysis. Bivariate analysis at a P-value of 0.25 and multivariable analysis at a P-value of 0.05 were applied. Results were presented using tables, figures, and texts.

Results: A total of 384 participants were included in this study. The proportions of poor triage knowledge and perceived poor triage skills among nurses were 58.1 and 50.3%, respectively. Educational level, triage experience, training experience, and the availability of triage equipment were significant predictors of triage knowledge and perceived triage skill, respectively.

Conclusion and recommendation: The triage knowledge and skill levels were found to be low. As nurses' knowledge about triage is a key tool in triage decision-making, there is a need to improve nurses' knowledge and skills in triaging at the ED.