Related Experiment Videos
Effects of a blended delirium education program in paediatric intensive care units: A quasi-experimental study
Yi-Chen Chen1, Hsiao-Yean Chiu2, Sun-Peng Chang3
1School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia.
Insights
A blended delirium education program improved paediatric intensive care nurses' confidence and attitudes. Virtual reality enhanced screening accuracy for paediatric delirium, though knowledge gains were not significant.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Nursing education
- Delirium management
Background:
- Paediatric delirium is prevalent and under-recognized in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
- Limited nurse confidence and inconsistent screening tool use hinder early detection.
- Adverse outcomes are associated with paediatric delirium.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess a blended delirium education program's impact on PICU nurses.
- To evaluate improvements in knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and screening accuracy for paediatric delirium.
- To incorporate virtual reality (VR) for enhanced delirium education.
Main Methods:
- Quasi-experimental pretest-post-test design in two Taiwanese PICUs (August 2024 - January 2025).
- Intervention: Blended education (workshop + VR videos); Control: Booklet.
- Assessed knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD) tool accuracy via questionnaires and screening evaluations.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed significant improvements in confidence and attitudes compared to the control group.
- Paediatric delirium screening accuracy increased from 73.7% to 89.5% in the intervention group.
- A positive trend in knowledge was observed, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- A blended delirium education program positively impacted nurses' confidence and attitudes.
- Virtual reality integration shows promise for improving paediatric delirium screening accuracy.
- Further rigorous research is recommended to validate these findings.
Background:
Paediatric delirium is a common under-recognised condition in paediatric intensive care units, associated with adverse outcomes. Despite the availability of validated screening tools, inconsistent use and nurses' limited confidence in assessment remain major barriers to early detection.
Objectives:
To evaluate the effectiveness of a blended delirium education program incorporating immersive virtual reality scenarios in improving paediatric intensive care nurses' knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and screening accuracy for paediatric delirium.
Methods:
A quasi-experimental pretest-post-test design was used for this study. The study was conducted in two paediatric intensive care units in Taiwan between August 2024 and January 2025. The intervention was a blended educational program that comprised a face-to-face workshop and 360° virtual reality videos illustrating delirium cases, whereas the control group engaged in self-directed learning using a booklet only. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and weeks 2 and 3 to assess knowledge, confidence, and attitudes. Nurses' Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium tool screening accuracy was evaluated at weeks 2 and 3. Data were analysed using generalised estimating equations.
Results:
Thirty-two nurses participated in the study. At weeks 2 and 3 post intervention, the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in confidence and attitudes (B = 4.85 and 3.45) than the control group (all p < 0.05). Screening accuracy increased from 73.7% to 89.5%. Although no significant interaction was observed for knowledge, an upward trend was noted.
Conclusions:
The blended delirium educational program was associated with improvements in nurses' confidence and attitudes towards delirium care. Given the quasi-experimental design, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Further research using larger, multicentre, and randomised designs is needed to confirm the effectiveness of this educational approach.
