KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF TRIAGE AMONG EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT NURSES AT KANTI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Anupama K. Yadav*, Bulu Wagle

Introduction: Triage plays a critical role in optimizing emergency care delivery, especially in resource-limited settings like Nepal. However, inadequate training and inconsistencies in triage knowledge among nurses may compromise patient outcomes. Kanti Children’s Hospital, the only government-run pediatric tertiary care center in Kathmandu, handles high patient volumes but operates partial triage services (1 PM to 7 PM) due to limited staffing. Objective: To assess the knowledge, practice, and confidence of emergency nurses regarding triage and to determine associations between training, knowledge accuracy, and practices. Methods: Informed verbal consent was taken and a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 27 female nurses out of 29 working in the emergency department at Kanti Children’s Hospital who consented were included in this study from May 5 to May 12, 2025. A structured questionnaire consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions was used to evaluate participants demographic profiles, triage knowledge, perceived practices. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, and chi-square tests were applied to assess associations. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Only 40.7% of participants had received formal triage training. The majority (74.1%) were aged 20-30 years, and 63% had less than one year of emergency experience. Although 62.9% reported feeling very confident in triaging patients, only 40.7% correctly answered triage-related knowledge questions. There was a significant association p value <0.05 between formal training and triage knowledge accuracy. However, no statistically significant association was found between confidence levels and knowledge scores indicating that self-reported confidence does not reliably predict competence. Conclusion: The study revealed notable gaps in triage knowledge among emergency nurses, despite high self-reported confidence. Formal training was significantly associated with better triage knowledge, emphasizing the urgent need for structured training programs, 24-hour triage implementation, and regular competency assessments, and conduction of triage training before emergency posting. Bridging the gap between confidence and actual knowledge is essential for improving emergency care quality and patient outcomes in pediatric settings.