Kampala International University

1. Medical Nursing
BM2227
BME 11
Jan to June 2024
BY
Wandabwa Margaret

2. Introduction to Medical Nursing
By the end of the module the students should be able to :
 Triage patients with different medical conditions.
 Discuss the pathophysiology of different medical conditions
 Apply the Nursing process in management of different medical
conditions.
 Develop Nursing care plans for patients with different medical
conditions.
 Demonstrate ethical and professional code of conduct in the care of
patients with different medical conditions.
 Apply infection prevention and control measures during the care of
patients.

3. Understanding the concept triage in Medical
nursing :
Triage refers to the formal process of early and quick assessment of
patients by a trained nurse / clinician to ensure that they receive
appropriate attention according to the degree of urgency or the
severity their need for care and the resources available.
 Treatment and resources must be prioritized to those with the
greatest and most immediate medical needs. This allows the medical
personnel to most efficiently and productively give urgent healthcare
to all those in the facility.

4. When and where should triaging take place?
• Triage should be carried out as soon as the patient arrives, before
any administrative procedure such as registration. This may require
reorganizing the flow of patients in some locations.
• Triage can be carried out in different locations, e.g. in the queue,
emergency room where there is room for a bed or trolley, enough
space for the staff to work, and where appropriate drugs and supplies
are accessible.
• If a patient with emergency signs is identified in the queue, he or she
must quickly be taken to a place where emergency care can be
provided immediately

5. The triaging process
• Triaging process should not take much time eg in children it should
take on average twenty seconds.
• Look and observe the chest for breathing and priority signs.
• Take quick clinical observations.

6. Triage categories
Immediate category.
Are the causalities or Emergency cases that require Immediate care
ie immediate life-saving treatment.
Urgent category.
Are priority patients or casualties that require significant intervention
as soon as possible.
Delayed category or Non urgent cases
These patients will require medical intervention, but not with any
urgency, can wait in the queue.
Expectant category.

7. Conventional triage colors for various
categories are:
• Minor: Green Triage Tag Color. Victim is relatively minor ...
• Delayed: Yellow Triage Tag Color. Victim's transfer can be delayed. ...
• Immediate: Red Triage Tag Color. Victim can be helped by immediate
intervention and transfer. ...
• Expectant: Black Triage Tag Color.

8. Ways of triaging patients with medical
conditions
Involves looking for signs of serious illness or injury.ie. looking for
emergency signs in relation to:
Airway
Breathing
Circulation / Consciousness (level of consciousness).
Dehydration (easily remembered as ABCD).