Triage Nurses' Perceptions of Patient Safety Errors During Triage in the Emergency Department: Qualitative Thematic...

Background/Objectives: Patient safety is a key component of emergency care, and triage is essential for timely patient assessment and prioritisation. Errors during triage may compromise patient outcomes and quality of care. While previous studies have focused on triage accuracy, little is known about triage nurses' perceptions of patient safety errors. This study aimed to explore triage nurses' perceptions of patient safety errors during triage encounters. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in the emergency department of a large university hospital in Slovenia. Nineteen triage nurses participated in semi-structured interviews between September and December 2024. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The study followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). Results: One overarching theme, Perceptions of patient safety errors during triage encounter, and five sub-themes were identified: Types of errors; Causes of errors; Consequences of errors; Accountability culture; and Error prevention. Participants described administrative errors, including patient misidentification and inaccurate data entry, and procedural errors, such as incorrect triage categorisation and under- or overtriage. Errors were linked to human and organisational factors and high patient volume. Consequences included delays in care and potential patient harm. Prevention strategies included education, adequate staffing, communication, teamwork, and systematic patient identification. Conclusions: Patient safety errors in triage are perceived as multifactorial events influenced by individual, organisational, and system-level factors. Continuous training, adequate staffing, effective communication, and a supportive, non-punitive safety culture may contribute to reducing errors and improving the quality and safety of triage practice.