Triage in Nursing | Handwritten Notes, Color Coding & Emergency Nursing Guide
🩺 TRIAGE – NURSING NOTES
🔹 Definition
Triage is the systematic process of sorting and prioritizing patients according to the severity of their condition, so that immediate care is given to those who need it most.
🔹 Purpose of Triage
To save maximum lives
To ensure effective use of limited resources
To provide rapid assessment and treatment
To reduce mortality and complications
🔹 Places Where Triage Is Used
Emergency Department (ER)
Disaster sites
Mass casualty incidents
Trauma centers
Accident & emergency units
🔹 Types of Triage
Emergency Triage – Hospital emergency settings
Disaster Triage – Natural or man-made disasters
Military Triage – War or combat situations
🔹 Principles of Triage
Priority is given to life-threatening conditions
Rapid and accurate assessment
Treatment based on severity, not order of arrival
Optimal use of available manpower and equipment
🔹 Triage Color Coding System
🔴 Red Tag – Immediate
Life-threatening injuries
Requires immediate treatment
Examples:
Severe bleeding
Airway obstruction
Shock
🟡 Yellow Tag – Delayed
Serious but not immediately life-threatening
Treatment can be delayed
Examples:
Fractures
Moderate burns
🟢 Green Tag – Minor
Minor injuries
Walking wounded
Examples:
Small cuts
Minor sprains
⚫ Black Tag – Expectant / Dead
Dead or injuries incompatible with life
No treatment priority
🔹 Role of Nurse in Triage
Perform rapid assessment
Identify priority patients
Provide first aid and stabilization
Communicate effectively with healthcare team
Maintain documentation
Reassess patients periodically
🔹 Triage Assessment Parameters
Airway
Breathing
Circulation
Level of consciousness
Severity of injury or illness
🔹 Advantages of Triage
Prevents overcrowding
Improves patient outcomes
Reduces delay in critical care
Organizes emergency services
🔹 Disadvantages / Limitations
Limited resources may affect care
Possibility of misclassification
Requires trained personnel
🔹 Important Exam Points ⭐
Red tag patients are treated first
Triage is based on severity, not arrival time
Commonly used in emergency and disaster nursing
Nurses play a key role in triage process
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