Triage Training in Iran from 2010 to 2020

Abstract

Background: Accurate decision-making in triage requires continuous education, so triage nurses should receive annual refresher courses. Identifying the most effective method can make the provision of practical education to triage staff in hospitals possible. This review was conducted with the aim to determine the effectiveness of triage education methods in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this systematic review on educational intervention studies, international and Iranian medical sciences databases were searched using a defined search strategy compatible with each database. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SID, Islamic Science Center (ISC), and IranDoc databases were searched for literature published from January 2010 to January 2020. The MeSH terms of “health care staff,” “triage,” “education,” and “Iran” in English and Persian were combined to develop a search strategy. Initially, 768 article titles were retrieved. Finally, 16 articles were selected for the review. Results: All conducted studies were quasi-experimental. Half of the studies had used a face-to-face approach for education (workshop, lecture, and simulation), and four studies had used lectures and pamphlets. All studies (except 1) reported that their educational intervention significantly improved nursing knowledge on triage. Conclusions: Almost all studies had reported the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving nurses' triage knowledge. However, it seems that the non-face-to-face method is superior to the face-to-face method because of its learner-centeredness and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, providing educational content using a blended learning approach (simulation and games) can enhance the effectiveness of triage education.

Investigating the professional capability of triage nurses in the emergency department and its determinants: a multicenter cross-sectional study in Iran

“…Professional capability is a broad concept that can be defined according to context, attributes, position, and perspective of people [ 11 ]. According to a study by Bijani et al in 2018, in order for triage nurses to have professional capability, they should not only have clinical competence, but possess psychological skills and professional commitment.…”

“…In other words, if these skills are not practiced at a standard level, it will endanger the outcomes of clinical care and the effectiveness of emergency departments. Despite the importance of the role of standard triage and the triage nurses’ professional capability in saving lives, no study has directly evaluated this concept; however, the results of the studies that assessed the professional knowledge and clinical skills of the nurses showed a moderate level of clinical skills [ 11 ]. Studies conducted in the world and Iran suggest that there are serious concerns in these areas so that lack of professional knowledge and clinical skills in triage nurses has received attention as a global problem [ 14 ].…”

“…Haghigh et al (2017) reported the undesirable awareness level of the emergency department nurses involved in patient triage in Ahvaz educational hospitals [ 1 ]. The results of a recent systematic review by Javadi et al (2021) revealed the overall moderate triage skill level of the nurses in Iran [ 11 ].…”

A comparison between the impacts of lecturing and flipped classrooms in virtual learning on triage nurses’ knowledge and professional capability: an experimental study

“…Nurses are the main performers of triage in emergency departments and play a primary role in prioritizing the needs of patients whose condition is critical [ 5 ]. Triage nurses’ key part in prioritizing the needs of patients who are in life-threatening conditions underscores the importance of evaluating their professional capabilities [ 6 ]. Professional capability is a broad concept and varies according to individuals’ field of practice, characteristics, positions, and perspectives [ 7 ].…”

Strategies to improve the quality of nurse triage in emergency departments: A realist review protocol

“…Several strategies have been recommended to optimize nursing practices with respect to triage, including audit and feedback (Robbie & Martin, 2013), education (Javadi et al, 2021; McNally, 1996), reminder systems, simulation (Terenzi, 2000; Uslu et al, 2019) and electronic decision‐support tools (Agnihotri et al, 2021) with artificial intelligence (IA). These strategies could influence nurses' capacity, motivation and opportunities to apply best practices in triage, referring to the mechanisms by which they operate to change clinician behaviours.…”