Triage decision-making and its relationship with burnout among nurses in Iranian emergency departments

Triage decision-making is a critical task for nurses in emergency departments, influenced by various factors, including burnout. This study aimed to explore the relationship between burnout and triage decision-making.

A descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study included 114 emergency nurses selected through total population sampling. Participants met criteria of voluntary participation, a nursing bachelor's degree, and at least one year of emergency department experience. Data were gathered using a demographic form, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and a triage decision-making questionnaire. Analysis was conducted in SPSS-22 using t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation, with significance set at P < 0.05.

Participants had an average age of 32 years and 5 years of work experience. Of the group, 60 % were married, 72 % were childless, and 91 % held bachelor's degrees. The mean triage decision-making score was 122.73 ± 16.13. Burnout prevalence was 32.1 %, with 52.6 % reporting high emotional exhaustion, 48.2 % high depersonalization, and only 1 % experiencing reduced job accomplishment. Triage decision-making showed an inverse correlation with burnout (r = -0.361, P = 0.001).

Burnout adversely impacts triage decision-making. Efforts to mitigate burnout-such as reducing workload, shortening work hours, increasing staffing, and offering stress management programs-may enhance decision-making quality.