Introduction: This study explores the triage knowledge of nurses and identifies the factors that affect their knowledge.
Methods: A descriptive was carried out between December 2020 and January 2021, with a sample of 104 voluntary nurses working in surgery and internal medicine clinics at a training and research hospital. Data were collected using a descriptive information form and Triage Decision-Making Inventory (TDMI).
Results: The mean age of the participants was 30.03 ± 7.85 years. There was a significant difference between professional experience and the scores attained from the cognitive ability and intuition subscales of the TDMI. We found a significant difference between the level of knowledge and the scores acquired from the TDMI and its subscales of cognitive ability, experience, and critical thinking (p < 0.05). Nurses working in the surgical unit scored significantly higher on the cognitive ability subscale of the TDMI than those working in the department of internal medicine department (p < 0.05). Participants who reported feeling comfortable and not challenged during triage decision-making scored statistically significantly higher on the cognitive ability subscale of the TDMI (p < 0.05).
Discussion and Conclusion: The study found that the average TDMI score of the participants was high and professional experience in surgical units, and knowledge, experience, and comfort with triage decision-making had a positive effect on the level of decisions in terms of triage decision-making. Besides emergency departments, triage decision-making in internal medicine and surgical clinics is thought to be useful in enhancing the quality of patient care and deciding on correct and appropriate nursing approaches.