Emergency departments are facing issues of overcrowding on a regular basis. The key to patient throughput during this overwhelming state is adequate patient triage. Triage is performed correctly will help expedite patient care and bed assignment in a more efficient manner. The Emergency Department (ED) currently faces issues such as staffing shortages and inexperienced staff. Nurses are being placed in pivotal roles such as triage with a minimal emergency nursing experience and triage training. This can be frightening to new and old staff. The purpose of this study was to increase patient throughput and decrease patient wait times in the ED while providing safe adequate triage and implementing standing orders. Questions to ponder: Is there a need for additional triage education for the staff that is currently active in the triage role? Are the triage nurses prepared for their current triage role?

The methodology used for this study was a pre-test, post-test, and teaching intervention. The pre-test evaluated the nurses understanding, application, and knowledge of the triage process and standing orders. A teaching intervention was completed to help provide a better understanding of the triage process and use of standing orders. A post-test evaluated the effectiveness of the teaching intervention. Nurses who function in the triage role were asked to participate in the study. The data results revealed that there was a need for additional education of the triage process and implementation of standing orders. All participants revealed a need for further education on one or both aspects studied. The triage algorithm and process along with the implementation of standing orders were shown to help expedite patient care if used correctly.