• 한국간호교육학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.477-489
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to assess emergency room nurses' knowledge and performance of triage nursing. Methods: The instrument was developed through the stages of conceptual construction, item development, and validity and reliability testing. For the validity and reliability testing, data collected from 48 emergency room nurses using questionnaires was analyzed through descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and reliability coefficients. Results: The knowledge part consisted of 30 items in nine areas, and its reliability was low (KR-20 =0.50). The correct-answer rate was 71.8%. The performance section derived from the factor analysis was composed of two factors with nine items in the triage domain and three factors with 12 items in the non triage domain. The explanatory powers of these factors for the domains were 66.1% and 70.4%, respectively. The overall reliability (Cronbach's ${\alpha}$) was .95, and the reliabilities for the two domains were .88 and .91, respectively. The nurses' mean performance level was 3.2(${\pm}0.45$). Conclusion: The specific contents of the triage nursing work were identified from the developed scale; further research is necessary to in order to develop a scale capable of higher reliability and validity.

• 근관절건강학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.176-186
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe work experiences of triage nurses working at emergency departments in Korea. Methods: A qualitative descriptive research method was used. Twenty-one nurses of emergency department participated in the first interview and 16 of them participated in the second interview. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and field notes. Qualitative content analysis was utilized to analyze the data. Results: Forty-eight codes, 12 categories, and six themes emerged from the data analysis: caring on the frontline, burden as an initial evaluator, handling things alone, lack of others' understanding, becoming an expert, and needs for improvement. Participating triage nurses faced many challenges and difficult situations in emergency departments. They felt burden and loneliness as initial evaluator. Also, they felt pride in their work and struggled to become a professional. Conclusion: This study is the first qualitative study that has focused on exploring the experiences of triage nurses in emergency departments in Korea. The results provide description and in-depth understanding of working experiences of triage nurses. The results provide valuable fundamental data for regulation, clinical practice, education, and research for triage nurses in Korean emergency departments.

• 임상간호연구
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.94-102
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine triage nurses' the Korean triage and acuity scale(KTAS) performance ability, perception of importance, education needs and identify the factors influencing triage nurses' the KTAS performance ability. Methods: A descriptive correlational study was conducted among 146 emergency nurses working in 13 hospitals from March to May, 2017. Data were collected utilizing a questionnaire developed to measure performance ability, perception of importance, and educational needs of 192 items of the KTAS. Statistical analysis included t-test, analysis of variance, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. Results: The triage nurses' the KTAS performance ability was rated as 3.3/4.0 points, perception of importance as 3.2/4.0 points, and education needs as 3.1/4.0 points. Factors influencing the KTAS performance of the participants were perception of importance, education needs, and work experience at the emergency department, explaining 26.7% of total variance. Conclusion: The KTAS performance ability of triage nurses could be improved through training programs designed to enhance their perception of importance and provide knowledge about the KTAS. Nurses' emergency department work experience needs to be considered as an important factor for the KTAS performance ability.

• 임상간호연구
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.395-406
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze nurse staffing according to patients' acuity and dependency by measuring nursing hours. Methods: The study sample included patients who visited the adult emergency departments (EDs) of three tertiary referral hospitals and nurses who worked on shifts for 48 hours from October 24 to 26, 2019. Hourly patient census and nurse staffing were analyzed. Patient acuity was measured using the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS), ranging from Level 1 (highest) to Level 5 (lowest). Patient dependency was measured using six items (e.g., clinical attention and communication) and classified into four groups. Nursing activities were observed every 10 minutes and nursing hours per patient and nurse staffing were analyzed according to acuity and dependency. Results: Nurse-to-patient ratio ranged from 1:1.8 to 1:4.2 during the 48 hours of observation. The average work hours of nurses, excluding breaks and meals, was 8.57 hours; 42.5% of which was spent providing direct care. Higher acuity and dependency were associated with higher nursing hours and staffing level. Patients with KTAS Level 1 were provided 74.3 minutes per hour, 5.02 times higher than Level 5 (14.8 minutes). Patients in the highest dependency group were provided 87.4 minutes per hour, 5.75 times higher than the lowest group (15.2 minutes). Newly arrived patients received more nursing hours than continuously stayed patients within the same KTAS Levels. Conclusion: Large variations were found in hourly patient census, acuity, and dependency. Nurse staffing in EDs should be determined based on patient acuity and dependency.