Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Introduction A 72-hour observational pilot study was conducted at a large managed-care facility to determine what functions triage nurses fulfilled, how often they fulfilled these functions, and how much time was taken for these functions. Methods Patient arrival times, nursing activities, and patient dispositions were recorded. Activities were classified as either primary or nonprimary, according to defined triage purposes. ⋯ These interruptions notably increased pretriage waiting times for all patients who were interrupted but were most significant for patients with acuity levels 2 (p < 0.05) and 3 (p < 0.05). Number of interruptions and length of time spent waiting to see the triage nurses were significantly correlated (r = 0.69). Discussion Our study describes a method of evaluating triage nursing activities and suggests that some functions may contribute to delays in physician and nurse access.
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The ED care of the patient with trauma can be facilitated by the establishment of protocols to ensure prompt access to lifesaving and limb-saving procedures and care. Specific protocols for patients with trauma support assessment and treatment in both the emergency and long-term phases of care.