Understanding triage assessment of acuity by emergency nurses at initial adult patient presentation: A qualitative systematic review.

Background: Nurses make complex triage decisions within emergency departments, which significantly affect patient outcomes. Understanding how nurses make these decisions and why they deviate from triage algorithms facilitates interventions that work with their decision-making processes, increasing acceptability and effectiveness.

Aims: This qualitative systematic review aimed to understand decision-making processes emergency nurses use to make acuity decisions during triage assessment at initial patient presentation.