This course is for healthcare workers working in emergency services throughout the Western Cape. It introduces the foundational theory of the South African Triage Scale, how to perform and implement it in adult and paediatric clients. 


About the course

  • Course Design: Self-directed

  • Duration: It will take you 2-3 hours to complete.

  • Eligibility for this course: All healthcare workers working in emergency services throughout the Western Cape.

  • Accreditation:
    • HPCSA: 3 Clinical CPD points (Level 1)
    • WCDHW Nursing CPD accreditation: 3 points in Area of Practice

  • Certification: Participants need 70% pass mark for the final quiz.

  • Published: March 2026

PLEASE NOTE:

This course does not certify you as a fully-accredited SATS-trained healthcare provider, or a SATS mentor. 

Accredited status is only granted upon successful completion
 of the in-person practical training and assessment.

This online course is one component, and serves as a prerequisite to prepare candidates for the in-person training.

Course curriculum

The following content is covered in this course:

1. Introduction

  • What is triage?
  • Benefits of triage.
  • Triage requirements.
  • The Step-by-step approach.

2. Triage Early Warning Score (TEWS)

  • Adult TEWS.
  • Paeds TEWS - Younger Child and Older Child.
  • Calculating TEWS for paediatric and adult patients.
  • Observations: respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature, AVPU, mobility, and trauma.
  • Concepts: confusion, acute vs chronic.

3. Additional Investigations

  • Different additional investigations.
  • When to perform appropriate additional investigations.
  • How additional investigations may change the triage priority level.

4. Additional Tasks

  • When to perform appropriate additional tasks, and immediate additional tasks.
  • Notifying senior healthcare providers regarding cases requiring certain additional tasks.

5. Adult Clinical Signs

  • Recognising adult Emergency signs.
  • Recognising Very Urgent and Urgent signs in adults.

6. Paediatric Clinical Signs

  • Recognising paediatric Emergency signs.
  • The ABC-c-c-DO approach.
  • Recognising Very Urgent and Urgent signs in paediatric patients.


Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness
People Development Centre

Acknowledgements:

  • Dr Michèle Twomey
  • South African Triage Group (SATG)
  • Knowledge Translation Unit