UK Triage Ethnography
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Ethnographic Study Investigating Triage Nurse Decision-Making Processes in UK Emergency Departments
IRAS ID
360568
Contact name
Hugh Gorick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 15 days
Research summary
Lay Summary
What is the principal research question/objective?
How do nurses at the initial assessment (triage) in emergency departments assess how sick a patient is when they first arrive?
What are the secondary research questions/objectives if applicable?
How does a busy environment affect the nurses’ decisions?
What is the scientific justification for the research?
Emergency departments have gotten a lot busier in recent years. Assessing how sick a patient is, is important to be able to properly allocate the limited resources and ensure that the sickest patients are seen first. These processes have not been formally observed by researchers in a UK setting since over 15 years ago. Going into emergency departments to gain first-hand knowledge is important to ensure that research reflects practice.
Please summarise your design and methodology.
Researchers will go into emergency departments and observe the nurses assessing the patients, whilst making notes about how they make these assessments, and what influences their decisions. They will also interview nurses about the decisions made. Researchers will ensure that both the nurses and the patients being assessed are happy with being observed and aim to make their observations as unintrusive as possible. No personal details of patients will be recorded. Patient safety and treatment will always be the top priority of the study.REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EE/0226
Date of REC Opinion
17 Nov 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion