1. Tell The World Project
Lynne Colombo, RN

2. The Article…
“Using simulation to assess the impact of triage interruptions” from the Journal of Emergency Nursing, September 2017 issue
Analyzed the impact of interruptions on triage and the decision-making process in a simulated setting.
9 nurses from 3 emergency departments participated
Each nurse completed two triage scenarios one interrupted and one uninterrupted
After completion of the scenarios, video-simulated recall interviews were used to assess the simulation experience and the impact that interruptions had on the triage decision-making process.
Concluded: triage was significantly longer during the interrupted scenarios
Further studies needed to examine how nurses can successfully handle triage interruptions.
(Johnson & Alhaj-Ali, 2017)

3. Why Did this Resonate with Me?
Over 100, 000 deaths per year are attributed to health care-related errors
Interruptions during the triage process have been a cause of such errors
The triage assessment is the critical beginning of the treatment plan for ED patients.
Increased awareness and education needs to be made to the public regarding the importance of this process to help minimize excess interruptions.
(Johnson & Alhaj-Ali, 2017)

4. The Letter to the Editor…
Dear Editor- Thank you for publishing the article “Using Simulation to Assess the Impact of Triage Interruptions” in the September issue of Journal of Emergency Medicine.1 Having seven years of Emergency Medicine experience, two as a nurse and five as EMT, I greatly valued the message expressed by the authors of the study. I can’t express how important the initial triage assessment is in determining safe treatment and care to patients walking through the Emergency Department doors. This small portion of a patient’s visit, and yet sometimes overlooked process, is vital in the success of both the care the professionals provide and the care the patients receive. To help reduce the myriad, problematic, interruptions during the triage assessment, increased awareness and education needs to be provided by emergency departments nationwide to the public regarding the triage process. By educating the public on the triage process, interruptions including: the frequently asked questions of: “How much longer?” and “Why have 10 other people been treated before me when I got here first?” will hopefully be eliminated. Awareness of the triage process needs to emphasize that each individual’s treatment and care is valued and the assessment starts in the triage process. To accurately assess each patient, individuals need to respect the time needed for the nurse to talk with each patient separately without interruptions. Interruptions lengthen the process and could negatively impact a patient’s care as the nurse’s attention is redirected away from the patient. Articles, such as this one, bring to the forefront the importance of incorporating new practice solutions during the triage assessment process. As future articles and studies are provided, I am excited to use the evidence-based practice research to help initiate, educate, and introduce change to help improve the efficiency, efficacy, and accuracy of the triage process. ----Lynne Colombo, RN, Fishersville, VA; REFERENCE 1. Johnson, K. D., & Alhaj-Ali, A. (2017, September). Using simulation to assess the impact of triage interruptions. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 43(5),

5. Reference
Johnson, K. D., & Alhaj-Ali, A. (2017, September). Using simulation to assess the impact of triage interruptions. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 43(5),