Recognizing Intensive Care Unit Delirium: Are Critical Care Nurses Ready?

Area of Science:

• Critical care nursing
• Intensive care medicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Delirium is frequently undetected in intensive care units (ICUs).
• Limited data exists on critical care nurses' knowledge of delirium care in Taiwan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge level of delirium care among critical care nurses in Taiwan.
• Utilized a multiple-choice quiz to evaluate understanding of delirium management.

Main Methods:

• Employed a descriptive, cross-sectional study design.
• Collected data via a web-based survey including demographics and a 16-item delirium care knowledge quiz.
• Survey covered symptoms, risk factors, and assessment of delirium.

Main Results:

• 324 critical care nurses completed the survey.
• Correct response rates varied by domain: symptoms (67.1%), high-risk groups (76.2%), factors (78.9%), and assessment/detection (41.5%).
• Lowest scores were observed in interpreting delirium assessment results.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight a need for enhanced education on delirium assessment tools and interpretation.
• Improving nurses' ability to detect delirium is crucial for better patient outcomes in ICUs.
• Future research and training should prioritize practical application of delirium assessment.