Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Primary Survey Implementation in the Emergency Department: A Scoping Review

Sari

Background: Nurses in emergency departments play a vital role in conducting initial assessments and providing rapid management for critically ill patients through the ABCDE-based primary survey. Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes in performing the primary survey significantly influence patient safety and the quality of care.

Objective: To identify the relationship between nurses’ knowledge and attitudes and the implementation of the primary survey in emergency departments.

Methods: This study employed a narrative review design to summarize the literature related to nurses’ knowledge and attitudes in the application of the primary survey in emergency departments.

Results: From the eight studies reviewed, most indicated that adequate knowledge was closely associated with nurses’ positive attitudes in implementing the primary survey. Good knowledge supports professional attitudes and self-confidence, thereby improving accuracy and speed in emergency interventions. However, several studies noted that the accuracy of primary survey implementation is also influenced by other factors such as work experience, supervision, safety culture, and resource availability. Additional challenges include training gaps, heavy workloads, and variations in hospital policies that may affect the quality of implementation.

Conclusion: Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes are closely interrelated and mutually reinforcing in the successful implementation of the primary survey in emergency departments. Competency enhancement should be pursued through continuous training, simulation practice, and strengthening patient safety culture to further optimize the quality of emergency care.