Knowledge, barriers, and training needs of nurses working in delirium care

Nurses' competency in delirium care is important because delirium can extend hospitalization and increase patient mortality.

This study aimed at identifying and comparing the perceived knowledge, barriers, importance, performance, and training priorities between the intensive care unit (ICU) and ward nurses working in delirium care.

This cross-sectional descriptive study included 71 ICU nurses and 149 ward nurses at one university hospital. Nurses' self-reported knowledge, barriers, importance, and performance of delirium care were surveyed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and the importance-performance analysis matrix.

Compared to ward nurses, ICU nurses reported lower overall knowledge level (57.1% vs 60.7%, z = -2.005, P = .045) but higher overall gap between the importance and performance of delirium care (0.5 vs 0.2, z = -4.008, P < .001). The level of overall barriers to delirium care was similar between the two groups (3.8 vs 3.8, z = -1.190, P = .234). The highest training priority, showing high importance but low performance in the importance-performance matrix, was "family involvement and education" for ICU nurses and "non-pharmacological management" for ward nurses.

The highest training priority for delirium care was different between ICU and ward nurses. To enhance the delirium care competency of hospital nurses, the nurse educator should develop training programs that target knowledge deficits, perceived barriers, and training priorities.

Acute cognitive disturbances are common in patients hospitalized in wards and ICUs and can lead to adverse patient outcomes if not properly assessed and managed. Nurse educators need to develop and implement a training program based on the needs assessment and priorities identified in this study so that ICU and ward nurses can obtain the optimal level of delirium care competency.