Ward nurses' perceptions of clinical trigger questions.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Early warning scoring systems are crucial for patient monitoring.
• Identifying sick patients promptly is essential for effective healthcare.
• Clinical trigger questions aim to enhance the early detection of patient deterioration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate ward nurses' perceptions of clinical trigger questions.
• To assess the utility of trigger questions in identifying sick patients.
• To understand the impact of trigger questions on patient referral processes.

Main Methods:

• A service evaluation was conducted in three acute hospitals.
• Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 633 ward nurses.
• Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the collected data.

Main Results:

• A response rate of 61.4% (n=389) was achieved.
• 56.9% of nurses felt trigger questions altered their perception of patient risk.
• 85.7% believed the questions aided in identifying sick patients, and 87.5% found they improved referrals.

Conclusions:

• Nurses perceived clinical trigger questions as valuable tools.
• Trigger questions can serve as a framework for patient escalation and referral.
• These questions support ward staff in recognizing deteriorating patients.