👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team🕐 Updated 2026-07-11🏷️ Management of Care🔖 Free to read, print, and share
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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Triage and Prioritization on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!
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Order
Key facts
Airway → Breathing → Circulation
Acute/unstable before chronic/stable
Physiologic before psychosocial
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Er Tags
Key facts
Red = immediate, life threat
Yellow = delayed, urgent
Green = minor, walking wounded
Black = expectant/deceased
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See First
Key facts
New/unexpected → see first
Expected/improving → see later
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Quick Tip
Daily prioritization follows ABCs first: a patient with an airway or breathing problem is always seen before one with a circulation or lower-priority issue.