Ensuring a safe and effective triage process for patients and triage staff

Triage is often the first step in a patient’s visit to the emergency department, with nurses assessing the urgency of the patient’s need for treatment. This CPD article explores triage, its objectives, the process of triage and how to ensure it is effective. This includes the physical assessment process as well as methods for ensuring a comprehensive and quick assessments are performed. It also discusses what makes for an effective triage environment, and how nurses can support this, before discussing safety in triage, both from a physical perspective of infection control and workplace violence, and an emotional perspective around patient disclosures of emotional trauma and practitioner stress. This article presents advice for improving the effective and safe triage of patients when they present to emergency areas.