Effects of Critical Thinking Disposition, Clinical Judgement, and Nurse-Physician Collaboration on Triage Competency Among Triage Nurses.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between critical thinking disposition, clinical judgement, nurse-physician collaboration, and triage competency among triage nurses and to identify the factors influencing triage competency. Methods: This descriptive survey study included 152 triage nurses from one tertiary and six general hospitals. Data were collected from 1 September to 1 November 2023 and analysed using SPSS 29.0. Results: Triage competency was positively correlated with critical thinking disposition (r = 0.55, p < 0.001) and clinical judgement (r = 0.61, p < 0.001), while it was negatively correlated with nurse-physician collaboration (r = -0.52, p < 0.001). The hierarchical regression analysis showed that five variables, critical thinking disposition, clinical judgement, nurse-physician collaboration, education level, and years of experience in the emergency department, significantly influenced triage competency. The explanatory power of these variables for triage competency was 63.7% (F = 27.52, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Based on the findings, increasing the level of cooperation and fostering more cooperative relationships between nurses and physicians are necessary measures to improve their triage competency.