Army nurses' knowledge base for determining triage categories in a mass casualty

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Disaster Nursing
• Military Health

Background:

• Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) present unpredictable challenges.
• Nurses are vital in MCI triage, but their specific capabilities are under-documented.
• Existing research lacks comprehensive data on military nurses' triage proficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge base of Army nurses in mass casualty triage.
• To identify factors influencing triage accuracy among military nurses.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Darnall Mass Casualty Triage Test in assessing this knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study design involving 82 Army nurses.
• Utilized The Darnall Mass Casualty Triage Test to evaluate triage knowledge.
• Collected demographic and experiential data using a Demographic Data Form.

Main Results:

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) completion correlated with higher triage scores.
• Specialty certifications (CRNA, CEN, CCRN) were associated with improved performance.
• Attendance at the Medical Management of Nuclear Weapons Course positively impacted scores.

Conclusions:

• Specific training and certifications enhance military nurses' mass casualty triage skills.
• The Darnall Mass Casualty Triage Test provides a valuable assessment tool.
• Findings suggest areas for targeted educational interventions to improve MCI readiness.