Anchored in excellence: Leveraging data-driven feedback to evolve triage practice and support staff development

Background: Emergency department triage is a cornerstone of patient safety and operational excellence. Yet, many nurses work without structured feedback, creating variability in acuity scoring and documentation. To reignite engagement and elevate care, we introduced a feedback model anchored in best practice and supported by real-time data. Methods: This initiative seeks to foster a culture of excellence and continuous evolution in triage care by combining trauma-informed feedback principles with Tableau dashboard analytics. The approach empowers nurses to reflect on their practice, benchmark against peers, and identify growth opportunities. Results: A customized dashboard provides actionable insights into triage performance, including CTAS distribution, up/down-triage trends, and documentation quality. Feedback sessions emphasize psychological safety, contextual realities, and collaborative learning, ensuring that improvement is both meaningful and sustainable. Implications and lessons learned: Early adoption demonstrates improved consistency, heightened awareness of patient safety risks, and stronger team engagement. By anchoring feedback in excellence and evolving through data-driven care, this model offers a scalable pathway to transform triage practice across emergency departments.