Nursing Assessment and Intervention in the Management of Delirium in Intensive Care: A Quantitative Study

Authors

  • Nuno Edgar Carones Esteves Unidade Local de Saúde São João, Medicina Intensiva, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2388-924X
  • Henrique Joaquim Fonseca Filipe Lopes Unidade Local de Saúde São João, Medicina Intensiva, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2229-7488
  • Anabela Santos Vieira Unidade Local de Saúde São João, Medicina Intensiva, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2898-5345
  • Patricia Andreia Santos Cardoso Unidade Local de Saúde São João, Medicina Intensiva, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4740-2624
  • Igor Emanuel Soares-Pinto Escola Superior de Saúde Norte da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa, Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal; Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde (CIIS), Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal; Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento da Escola Superior de Saúde Norte da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa, Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3739-2020
  • Carla Regina Rodrigues Silva Unidade de Investigação em Enfermagem Oncológica, Centro de Investigação do IPO Porto (CI-IPOP), Porto, Portugal; RISE@CI-IPOP (Rede de Investigação em Saúde), Porto, Portugal; Escola Superior de Saúde do Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5147-2751

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12707/RVI24.37425

Keywords:

delirium, intensive care, nursing

Abstract

Background: Delirium remains underdiagnosed and neglected in intensive care units (ICUs), significantly affecting the prognosis and recovery of critically ill patients.

Objectives: To assess nurses’ knowledge of scales used to assess delirium in critically ill patients and to identify reasons for not using them, risk factors for delirium, and nursing interventions used.

Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive, exploratory, and cross-sectional study involving 115 nurses from an ICU. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire.

Results: It was found that 44.3% of nurses were familiar with a scale for assessing delirium in critically ill patients, with the most commonly cited scale being the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit. Only 5.2% of nurses used a delirium assessment scale, and the most frequently reported nursing intervention was “Promote a quiet environment” (57.9%).

Conclusion: Although nurses often do not assess delirium or assess it inadequately, they still implement interdependent and autonomous interventions to care for critically ill patients with delirium.

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References

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Published

2025-04-23

How to Cite

Esteves, N. E. C., Lopes, H. J. F. F. ., Vieira, A. S. ., Cardoso, P. A. S. ., Soares-Pinto, I. E. ., & Silva, C. R. R. . (2025). Nursing Assessment and Intervention in the Management of Delirium in Intensive Care: A Quantitative Study. Journal of Nursing Referência, 6(4), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.12707/RVI24.37425

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Section

Research Articles