Facilitators and Barriers of the Triage Process based on Emergency Nurses' Experience with the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Purpose: Since 2016, the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) algorithm has been applied to the triage process in the emergency departments (EDs) of Korea. This study aimed to investigate the facilitators of and barriers to a well-run triage function based on how Korean emergency nurses perceived the triage process and their experiences with it. Methods: Data were collected using focus group interviews from June 2018 to January 2019. Twenty emergency nurses were divided into two junior and four senior groups based on their level of clinical experience. All interviews were recorded as they were spoken and transcribed. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The participants recognized the need for the KTAS algorithm to efficiently classify emergency patients and were working on it properly. According to the data, we extracted 4 themes and 20 sub themes. Four themes were as follows: (1) awareness about the necessity of triage, (2) facilitators to triage process, (3) barriers to triage process, and (4) suggestions for the establishment and development of triage. Conclusion: From the findings of this study, various vulnerabilities of the triage process were identified, and solutions were suggested from the emergency nurses' perspective. Educational, staffing, financial support, and periodic updates of the KTAS are needed to promote the triage process in the future. (c) 2021 Korean Society of Nursing Science. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the facilitators of and barriers to a well-run triage function based on how Korean emergency nurses perceived the triage process and their experiences with it. The findings identified various vulnerabilities of the triage process and suggested solutions from the emergency nurses' perspective. Educational, staffing, financial support, and periodic updates of the KTAS are needed to promote the triage process in the future.