Army nurses' knowledge base for determining triage categories in a mass casualty

Abstract

The timing, location, and participants in a mass casualty scenario cannot be predicted. Nurses may be involved in performing triage, yet there is no published documentation of military nurses' ability to triage. A prospective design was used to describe 82 Army nurses' knowledge base related to designating triage categories for patients during a mass causality, examining the relationships among their education and experience as evaluated by The Darnall Mass Casualty Triage Test and Demographic Data Form. The most significant areas associated with higher scores on the Triage Test were: completion of Advanced Cardiac Life Support, advanced certification as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Certified Emergency Nurse, or Critical Care Registered Nurse, and attendance to the Medical Management of Nuclear Weapons Course. An improved average score for nurses overall was also noted when compared with previous work with the Darnall MASCAL Triage Test.