title: Nurses' perception about risk classification in an emergency service.
abstract: Get to know how nurses perceive the accomplishment of risk classification in an emergency service.
  
  
  
  In this qualitative study, 11 nurses were included with at least two months of experience in the risk classification of patients who visited the emergency service. Semistructured interviews were used to collect the information. The data were collected between August and December 2011. For data analysis, Bardin's theoretical framework was used.
  
  
  
  The nurses in the study consider the risk classification as a work organization instruments that permits closer contact between nurses and patients. The nursing skills needed for risk classification were identified: knowledge about the scale used, clinical perspective, patience and agility. The availability of risk classification scales was the main facilitator of this work. The main difficulties were the disorganization of the care network and the health team's lack of knowledge of the protocol.
  
  
  
  Risk classification offers an opportunity for professional autonomy to the extent that it is the main responsible for regulating care at the entry door of the emergency services.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João del Rei UFSJ, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiane Chaves
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline Santos
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.affiliation: UFSJ, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Liliane de Lourdes Teixeira
authors.initials: Lde L
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: UFSJ, Minas Gerais, Brazil, lucianadamata@usp.br.
authors.forename: Luciana Regina Ferreira
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: da Mata
authors.affiliation: UFSJ, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tânia Couto Machado
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chianca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods*