Priority-Setting Frameworks

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering nursing priority-setting frameworks, hierarchy models, and triage systems.

Priority Setting

The delivery of nursing care based on the urgency or importance of client needs, involving the organization of care where the most critical intervention or action is completed first.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A pyramid with five levels ranging from basic physiological needs at the base, psychological needs in the middle, and self-fulfillment at the peak.

ABCDE Method

An algorithm used in establishing priorities during a clinical crisis; stands for Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, and Exposure.

CURE Hierarchy

An acronym representing critical, urgent, routine, and extras, used to prioritize care when managing the needs of numerous clients.

Critical (CURE Hierarchy)

Emergent, life-threatening situations requiring immediate nursing intervention.

Urgent (CURE Hierarchy)

Situations in which the client could suffer harm or discomfort if there is a delay in addressing the client's needs.

Routine (CURE Hierarchy)

Routine tasks associated with client care.

Extras (CURE Hierarchy)

Tasks that are not essential to client care but promote comfort.

Prioritization

The process of ranking potential nursing actions in order of importance.

Triage

Assigning priority based on a quick initial, focused assessment followed by the assignment of an acuity level indicative of how long a client can safely wait for screening and treatment.

Level 1 Triage

The most urgent category in a 5-level system, for clients experiencing a life-threatening illness.

Level 5 Triage

The least urgent category in a 5-level system, for clients who are stable and suffering from nonemergency ailments.

Emergency Severity Index (ESI)

A common 5-level triage system used in the United States to categorize clients.

Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS)

A common 5-level triage system used to categorize clients into those needing to be seen emergently versus urgently.

Resource Allocation

The process of assigning a portion or amount of a service, which is a component of priority setting.