International emergency nursing
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Review
Reducing uncertainty in triaging mental health presentations: examining triage decision-making.
Little is known about how emergency department (ED) nurses make decisions and even less is known about triage nurses' decision-making. There is compelling motivation to better understand the processes by which triage nurses make decisions, particularly with complex patient populations such as those with frequently emotive mental health and illness issues. ⋯ In this paper, we review the current research regarding the effectiveness of triage tools particularly with mental health presentations, present a theoretical framework that may guide research in understanding how triage nurses approach decision-making, and apply that framework to thinking about research in mental health-related triage. Developing a better understanding of how triage nurses make decisions, particularly in situations where issues related to mental health and illness may raise the levels of uncertainty, is crucial to ensure that they have the skills and tools they need to provide the most effective, sensitive, and compassionate care possible.
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To determine whether reported attitudes towards patients who attend A&E following self-harm extend to young people. ⋯ Further research is required which considers attitudes of emergency care practitioners within the context of emergency care work, and which investigates whether being a young person per se has an influence on attitudes.