Evaluation of the (qSOFA) Tool in the Emergency Department Setting: Nurse Perception and the Impact on Patient Care.

In the emergency department (ED) setting, nurses perform the initial evaluation of patients, thereby placing ED nurses in a prime position to recognize sepsis and greatly influence prompt implementation of treatment. The quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) tool was first introduced as part of the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3) as a predictor of both increased mortality and longer intensive care unit (ICU) stays. Designed for use outside the ICU, the qSOFA tool functions as a simple bedside tool to quickly identify patients at risk for developing sepsis.