Using Simulation to Assess the Impact of Triage Interruptions

Feasibility and acceptability of a serious game to study the effects of environmental distractors on emergency room nurse triage accuracy: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

Emergency triage, which involves complex decision-making under stress and time constraints, may suffer from inaccuracies due to workplace distractions. A serious game was developed to simulate the triage process and environment. A pilot study was undertaken to collect preliminary data on the effects of distractors on emergency nurse triage accuracy.

METHOD

A 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial (RCT) was designed for the study. A sample of 70 emergency room nurses was randomly assigned to three experimental groups exposed to different distractors (noise, task interruptions, and both) and one control group. Nurses had two hours to complete a series of 20 clinical vignettes, in which they had to establish a chief complaint and assign an emergency level.

RESULTS

Fifty-five nurses completed approximately 15 vignettes each during the allotted time. No intergroup differences emerged in terms of triage performance. Nurses had a very favorable appreciation of the serious game focusing on triage.

CONCLUSION

The results show that both the structure of our study and the serious game can be used to carry out a future RCT on a larger scale. The lack of a distractor effect raises questions about the frequency and intensity required to find a significant impact on triage performance.

The Effect of Mandatory Triage Questions on Triage Processes: A Qualitative Exploratory Study

INTRODUCTION

The study purpose was to obtain an understanding of both the types of questions mandated for the triage encounter in emergency departments across the United States and how emergency nurses perceive the relevance of these questions to the triage process.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive exploratory study using focus group data was used. Data were collected at an in-person emergency nursing conference held in September 2022. Data were analyzed using Mayring's 8-step process.

RESULTS

Participants (n = 35) voiced concerns about a lack of expertise at all points in the triage process. The overarching problem is reported as data required by regulatory agencies are conflated with triage assessment information. Participants in this study reported that the conflation of the triage assessment with regulatory compliance is causing significant issues in the ability of emergency nurses to appropriately evaluate patient presentations. Thematic categories were identified as who's assessing the patients? assessment or compliance? important questions, situationally important questions, questions asked before discharge, and the lack of emergency nurse input.

DISCUSSION

The conflation of regulatory data collection with patient assessment at the initial triage encounter challenges the ability of the emergency nurse to rapidly and accurately identify patients at risk of deterioration. We recommend that initial triage processes encompass questions that focus on establishing the stability of the patient and the safety of the waiting room and include inquiry relevant to the patient presentation.

Shepherding parents to prepare for end-of-life decision-making: a critical phenomenological study of the communication approach of paediatricians caring for children with life-limiting conditions in Australia

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Shared decision-making is widely accepted as the best approach for end-of-life decision-making for children with life-limiting conditions. Both paediatricians and parents find benefit in preparing for such decisions. However, little detail is known about this preparatory process. This study aims to explore how paediatricians prepare parents for end-of-life decision-making for a child with a life-limiting condition using clinical simulation.

DESIGN

Individual, semistructured, post-simulation qualitative interviews of paediatricians and parent-actors.

SETTING

Acute intensive and long-term outpatient paediatric care in Victoria, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

18 purposively sampled paediatricians who treat children with life-limiting conditions and the two parent-actors involved in all simulations. Paediatricians were excluded if they assisted in the study design, worked within specialist palliative care teams or did not provide clinical care outside the neonatal period.

RESULTS

Three key themes in a preparatory process (termed 'shepherding') were identified: (1) paediatricians aim to lead parents along a pathway to future end-of-life decisions, (2) paediatricians prefer to control the pace of these discussions and (3) paediatricians recognise they need to have courage to face risk with this preparation. Paediatricians use a variety of shepherding strategies to influence the pace, content and framing of discussions, which may help prepare parents to make the best end-of-life treatment decisions when the time comes.

CONCLUSIONS

Shepherding is a newly identified, subtle process intended to influence parents by guiding their understanding of their child's health and potential suffering in advance of decision-making. Shepherding does not fit within current descriptions of physicians' decision-making influence. Paced reflection, thinking and provision of information are shepherding strategies preferred by paediatricians, and these appear the same regardless of whether paediatricians intend to steer parents towards particular treatment decisions or simply prepare them for the process of decision-making. Further study about the intention of this influence and parental perception of this communication is needed.

Managing Interruptions to Improve Diagnostic Decision-Making: Strategies and Recommended Research Agenda

Interruptions are an inevitable occurrence in health care. Interruptions in diagnostic decision-making are no exception and can have negative consequences on both the decision-making process and well-being of the decision-maker. This may result in inaccurate or delayed diagnoses. To date, research specific to interruptions on diagnostic decision-making has been limited, but strategies to help manage the negative impacts of interruptions need to be developed and implemented. In this perspective, we first present a modified model of interruptions to visualize the interruption process and illustrate where potential interventions can be implemented. We then consider several empirically tested strategies from the fields of health care and cognitive psychology that can lay the groundwork for additional research to mitigate effects of interruptions during diagnostic decision-making. We highlight strategies to minimize the negative impacts of interruptions as well as strategies to prevent interruptions altogether. Additionally, we build upon these strategies to propose specific research priorities within the field of diagnostic safety. Identifying effective interventions to help clinicians better manage interruptions has the potential to minimize diagnostic errors and improve patient outcomes.

The emergency nurse responses to triage interruptions and how these responses are perceived by patients: An observational, prospective study

BACKGROUND

Healthcare providers' responses to triage interruptions in the emergency department affect quality of care. The purposes for this study were to (1) Examine the relationship between nurses' response to triage interruption and each of, patients' perceived confidence in nurses' technical skills, perceived competence of triage nurse, and satisfaction with the triage experience, (2) Examine the relationship between nurses' response to triage interruption and nurse demographics.

METHODS

Using an observational, prospective design, this study was conducted in an adult academic level 1 trauma center. Data collection tools were: The Triage Interruptions Assessment Tool, Triage and Provider Satisfaction and Confidence Survey, and Demographic Questionnaire.

RESULTS

The number of observed triage interviews is 93. Of them, 66 interviews were interrupted. No significant relationships were found between nurses' response to the interruption and patients' perceived confidence in nurses' technical skills, competence of triage nurse, or satisfaction with triage experience. There were no significant relationships between nurses' response to triage interruptions and nurses' demographics.

CONCLUSIONS

Triage interruptions in the emergency environment are common and most often result in delays in care. In the current study, this has not been shown to affect patients' satisfaction. Nurses' individual characteristics did not affect their responses to triage interruptions.

Development of the neurological simulation program e-learning version (Neuro Sim-e)

It is difficult to coordinate the working hours of busy clinical nurses and provide lectures, but e-learning can be used during their spare time. Therefore, this study aimed to share our experience in developing and implementing the neurology simulation program e-learning version (Neuro Sim-e). Needs analysis was conducted, and the Neuro Sim-e was developed. Four evaluation questionnaires: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) etc., were examined. We developed the Neuro Sim-e, which consists of three scenarios. The subjects were 20 nurses. Regarding the "attention", "relevance", "reliability", and "satisfaction" of the Neuro Sim-e, 70.0%, 95.0%, 65.0%, and 90.0% of the respondents answered "rather agree" or higher, respectively. The Neuro Sim-e obtained positive feedback via ARCS evaluation and provided adequate results as an overall assessment. It is too early to conclude whether it is as effective as or better than a mannequin-based simulation, but this study provided learning materials that nurses could use in their spare time.

Systematic review of interruptions in the emergency department work environment

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this systematic review is to describe the operationalization of interruptions measurement and to synthesize the evidence on the causes and consequences of interruptions in the emergency department (ED) work environment.

METHODS

This systematic review of studies explores the causes and consequences of interruptions in the ED. Of 2836 abstract/titles screened, 137 full-text articles were reviewed, and 44 articles met inclusion criteria of measuring ED interruptions.

RESULTS

All articles reported primary data collection, and most were cohort studies (n = 30, 68%). Conceptual or operational definitions of interruptions were included in 27 articles. Direct observation was the most common approach. In half of the studies, quantitative measures of interruptions in the ED were descriptive only, without measurements of interruptions' consequences. Twenty-two studies evaluated consequences, including workload, delays, satisfaction, and errors. Overall, relationships between ED interruptions and their causes and consequences are primarily derived from direct observation within large academic hospitals using heterogeneous definitions. Collective strengths of interruptions research in the ED include structured methods of naturalistic observation and definitions of interruptions derived from concept analysis. Limitations are conflicting and complex evaluations of consequences attributed to interruptions, including the predominance of descriptive reports characterizing interruptions without direct measurements of consequences.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of standardized definitions and measurements in interruptions research could contribute to measuring the impact and influence of interruptions on clinicians' productivity and efficiency as well as patients' outcomes, and thus provide a basis for intervention research.

A Clinical Nurse Specialist-Driven Project to Improve Emergency Department Triage Accuracy

PURPOSE/AIMS

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to examine the use of video-simulated scenarios and mobile technology to improve accuracy of emergency department (ED) nurses' triage using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI).

DESIGN

A quality improvement project with a pre/post educational intervention design consisting of a convenience sample (n = 33) of ED registered nurses (RNs) at a large tertiary hospital in the Midwest was used.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review (n = 495) was completed to obtain ESI accuracy for each triage RN. For 12 consecutive weeks, the ED RNs received different video simulations via mobile technology to determine the ESI level. After receiving their scores, the project team provided the RNs the correct ESI score with rationale via mobile technology. Post intervention, a retrospective chart review was conducted to evaluate RNs' ESI accuracy.

RESULTS

Results of this ED triage educational intervention to improve the accuracy of ED nurses' ESI scores were not significant; however, this novel approach may be considered in addition to other teaching strategies to improve outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Triage nurses' ESI scoring accuracy can be inconsistent. Therefore, to ensure patients are receiving prompt and appropriate care for their acuity level, it is important to continuously provide education on ESI scoring.

Undergraduate Nursing Students and Management of Interruptions: Preparation of Students for Future Workplace Realities

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate interruption management strategies and associative cues used by nursing students when interrupted during simulated medication administration.

BACKGROUND

Interruptions occur with high frequency in health care settings and are associated with increased medication errors and decreased task efficiency. The Altmann and Trafton memory for goals model, a cognitive-science model, proposes use of associative cues during an interruption to mitigate these negative effects.

METHOD

A mixed-methods, two-site study explored associative cues and other management strategies that nursing students used when interrupted during simulated medication administration. Data were collected via direct observation and semistructured interviews.

RESULTS

Students primarily multitasked (66.7 percent) during the interruption. Few students (5.5 percent) used associative cues. Students voiced the need for education and practice on how to manage interruptions.

CONCLUSION

Evidence-based strategies are required to prepare nursing students for workplace interruptions. Use of associative cues during interruptions warrants further investigation.

Identifying Strategies for the Management of Interruptions for Novice Triage Nurses Using an Online Modified Delphi Method

PURPOSE

To use the Delphi Method to identify strategies used by triage nurses to effectively manage interruptions.

DESIGN

This study was based on the concepts of Benner's Novice to Expert Model. An online, modified Delphi approach was used to engage triage, education, and operational management experts in generating consensus recommendations on successful strategies to address triage interruptions in the emergency department.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A panel of nine triage, education, and operational management experts were selected based on their publication and presentation history. This panel participated in three Delphi rounds, providing individual responses during each round. All responses were entered into a RedCap database, which allowed research team members to synthesize the results and return summaries to the participants. Final consensus was reached among this panel regarding recommendations for successful strategies to address triage interruptions that can be encompassed in a training module. The experts were then asked to identify the best instructional modality for teaching each of the interruption management strategies.

FINDINGS

Eight strategies to mitigate the impact of interruptions were identified: (a) ensure nurses understand impact of interruptions; (b) ensure nurses understand consequences of interruptions on cognitive demands of healthcare workers that could influence behavior and lead to errors; (c) apologize to current patient before tending to interruption and give expectation of when you will return; (d) triage the interruption and decide to (i) ignore interruption, (ii) acknowledge, but delay servicing, interruption, or (iii) acknowledge and service interruption, delaying completion of interrupted task; (e) identify urgent communication as anything clinically significant that impacts the patient immediately or requires immediate intervention; (f) use focused questions to clarify whether interruption can wait; (g) redirect nonpriority interruptions; and (h) finish safety-critical task or tasks near completion before tending to an interruption. The Delphi participants recommended the best teaching modality was simulation for six of the strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants agreed that there are strategies that can be taught to novice triage nurses to mitigate the impact of interruptions. The experts in operations management, emergency nursing, and education agree that creating simulations to teach each of these strategies is an effective way to educate nurses.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Interruptions impact the quality of care provided to patients. Training nurses to prevent interruptions and mitigate the impact of interruptions when they occur has the potential to improve patient outcomes.

Simulation-Based Research: A Scoping Review

There is an increasing interest in using simulation in qualitative research outside evaluation of educational-based activities. To examine how data from simulation has been generated and used in qualitative research, we conducted a scoping review of research topics and data collection and analysis processes reported in qualitative research using simulation in the research method. Of the 665 articles that involved qualitative inquiry, 46 involved simulation in research independent from simulation-based education. Phenomena explored included communication and clinical decision-making during routine care and at highly sensitive times, such as the end of life, as well as the experiences when providing care in a variety of settings and patients, individually and within teams. Our findings highlight that simulation can be used for analysis of phenomena that are difficult for researchers to gain access to firsthand, and we discuss features for consideration when using simulation in qualitative health research.

Effects of environmental distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy: a pilot study protocol

Background

The clinical decisions of emergency department triage nurses need to be of the highest accuracy. However, studies have found repeatedly that these nurses over- or underestimate the severity of patient health conditions. This has major consequences for patient safety and patient flow management. Workplace distractors such as noise and task interruptions have been pointed to as factors that might explain this inaccuracy. The use of a serious game reproducing the work environment during triage affords the opportunity to explore the impact of these distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy, in a safe setting.

Methods/design

A pilot study with a factorial design will be carried out to test the acceptability and feasibility of a serious game developed specifically to simulate the triage process in emergency departments and to explore the primary effects of distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy. Eighty emergency nurses will be randomized into four groups: three groups exposed to different distractors (A, noise; B, task interruptions; C, noise and task interruptions) and one control group. All nurses will have to complete 20 clinical vignettes within 2 h. For each vignette, a gold standard assessment will be determined by experts. Pre-tests will be conducted with clinicians and certified emergency nurses to evaluate the appeal of the serious game.

Discussion

Study results will inform the design of large-scale investigations and will help identify teaching, training, and research areas that require further development.

Quality Improvement in the Emergency Department: A Project to Reduce Door-to-Electrocardiography Times for Patients Presenting With Chest Pain

INTRODUCTION

The American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines recommend obtaining electrocardiography for patients who present to the emergency department with chest pain in less than 10 minutes of arrival. Reducing door-to-electrocardiography time is an important step in adhering to the recommended door-to-balloon times (≤ 90 minutes) for patients who present with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

METHODS

Based on lean sigma principles, a protocol was implemented in an adult emergency department that included deferring nurse triage for patients with complaints of chest pain, chest tightness, and chest pressure and providing them with a red heart symbol as an indicator for clinical technicians to prioritize their electrocardiography order. Pre- and postintervention data were collected over a 12-month period.

RESULTS

Before the intervention, the mean door-to-electrocardiography time was 17 minutes for patients with chest pain (n = 893). After the intervention, the mean door-to-electrocardiography time for patients with chest pain significantly decreased to 7 minutes (n = 1,057) (t = 10.47, P ≤ 0.001). Initially, the percentage of compliance with door-to-electrocardiography standard of 10 minutes was 31% and improved to 83% after implementation of the new protocol.

DISCUSSION

Implementation of the optimized door-to-electrocardiography protocol decreased the time for obtaining diagnostics and improved compliance with the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines, potentially decreasing door-to-balloon times for patients who presented with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.