Date of Award
Summer 2025
Project Type
Thesis
College or School
CHHS
Department
Nursing
Program or Major
Direct Entry Master of Nursing
Degree Name
Master of Science
First Advisor
Elizabeth Evans
Abstract
Background: The Emergency Severity Index system is a standardized triage scoring guide used by emergency department nurses to efficiently assess patients based on severity and projected recourse needs. Studies have found that knowledge and confidence gaps among nurses may lead to improper triage score, leading to the misallocated spread of resources and longer wait times, increasing rates of morbidity and mortality. Early recognition of patient severity is vital for providing proficient patient care and improving patient outcomes and increased education is needed to improve this gap in nursing knowledge and confidence.
Local Problem: At a small, critical care access center in New England, concerns with knowledge and confidence gaps in Emergency Severity Index triage scoring were expressed. Reeducation was needed to improve these inconsistencies in triaging.
Methods: A quality improvement project was introduced to this microsystem, with an aim to increase emergency department nurses’ triage accuracy and confidence. After conducting a literature review, a pre-intervention survey was distributed to the nursing staff to assess baseline triage accuracy and confidence with triaging. This was followed by an educational presentation and triage flyer to reinforce the Emergency Severity Index parameters. A post-intervention survey was distributed and results from both the surveys were compared to assess the effectiveness of the interventions.
Results: The pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys were compared to assess for changes after the educational interventions. Triage knowledge and accuracy increased by 9%, and confidence increased by 14%.
Conclusions: Reinforcement of the Emergency Severity Index parameters and discussion regarding the vulnerable populations have the ability to improve nursing knowledge and confidence when triaging patients.
Recommended Citation
Saucedo, Mia K., "Enhancing Triage Accuracy and Nursing Confidence of the Emergency Severity Index to Improve the Effectiveness of Triage Through Targeted Education: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project" (2025). Master's Theses and Capstones. 1939.
https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/1939