Date of Award
Summer 2023
Document Type
Final DNP Paper
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Faculty Chair
Dr. Amanda Bullard
Preceptor
Dr. Theadoshia Hines
Abstract
Background: The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is a triage tool used in most emergency departments in the United States (U.S.) that assesses acuity and resource allocation for emergency care patients. Registered nurses (RNs) must assign the appropriate triage category to ensure patients are seen in a proper time frame, have ideal patient outcomes, and have efficient patient throughput.
Purpose: This quality improvement project aims to decrease the under-triage rate of patients in the emergency department (ED) by implementing an Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage refresher training.
Methods: This project used an A3 methodology. The triage specialist completed retrospective chart reviews to assess triage accuracy pre-and post-implementation. All ED and under-triage patients’ lengths of stay were compared pre-and post-implementation. In addition, pre-and post-education test results were compared.
Results: The results did not show any statistical significance in pre-and post-education tests and under-triage rates. However, there was a slight improvement in the under-triage rate from 20.59% to 16.44% and the average length of stay for ED patients of 235 to 218 minutes and 323.67 to 236 minutes for under-triage patients.
Conclusion: Triage accuracy is vital in improving patient outcomes and patient flow. It is crucial for EDs to evaluate nurses' triage accuracy and implement policies and procedures for annual triage education.
Recommended Citation
Wallace, Monique, "Implementing an Emergency Severity Index (ESI) Triage Refresher Training to Decrease the Under-Triage Rate in the Emergency Department (ED)" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 117.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/etds_nursing/117