Factors Affecting Triage Competency for Nurses Working in Korean Emergency Departments

This study identified factors that influenced triage competency among nurses working in emergency departments in Korea. As such, we conducted a secondary analysis of 225 original questionnaires collected from 18 emergency centers in Korea from August 2016 to May 2017. Relevant data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and a multiple linear regression. Among respondents, we found that the level of triage competency significantly differed based on age (F=5.23, p =.002), nursing experience (F=7.79, p<.001), and emergency department experience (F=4.88, p=.003). Meanwhile, the factors that influenced triage competency included the search for alternatives or options (β=.33, p<.001), canvassing of objectives and values (β=.29, p<001), triage experience (β=.15, p=.008), triage knowledge (β=.14, p=.015), and emergency department experience (β=.13, p=.023); these factors accounted for 36.4% of the variance in triage competency. Strategic interventions aimed at enhancing triage competency among emergency nurses should be developed in consideration of these factors.