[Spanish nurses' survey on triage in hospital emergency departments]

To describe the opinions of Spanish nurses on hospital emergency department (ED) triage and to compare their level of satisfaction with different triage systems.

Descriptive survey-based study of the opinions of nurses working in Spanish EDs. The online questionnaire was self-administered by the respondents. Items covered demographic data, degrees of experience and training, level of satisfaction, and aspects related to triage in general and to the type of triage used in the respondent's hospital.

Valid responses were received from 833 of the 857 nurses contacted (97.2% response rate); the nurses worked at 161 hospitals. Eighty hospitals (49.7%) used the Andorran Triage System adapted as the Spanish Triage System (ATM-STS) and 49 (30.4%) used the Manchester Triage System (MTS). The mean (SD) age of respondents was 38.5 (7.8) years; 652 (78.3%) of the respondents were women. Nurses were responsible for triage in 140 (87%) of the hospitals. Four hundred nurses (48.0%) believed triage is a full-team responsibility and 367 (44.0%) believed it was a nursing responsibility. Six hundred three (77.2%) had received specific training in triage. Seven hundred nine (85.1%) believed that triage always or almost always ensures better care for patients with the most serious emergencies, 681 (81.7%) believed that the triage nurse's opinion is taken into consideration, and 663 (79.6%) believed that patients are seen by a physician according to the assigned triage level. Nurses feel supported and generally respected by other nurses. Two hundred thirty (26.7%) would change the triage system they use, but only 100 (43.5%) could name a system they would switch to.

Triage is performed by nurses in most of the hospitals, although nearly half of the respondents believe this responsibility should be shared with doctors. Nurses have a good opinion of triage and are generally satisfied with it, but there is variation according to the system implemented in their hospital.