Nursing Assessment and Intervention in the Management of Delirium in Intensive Care: A Quantitative Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12707/RVI24.37425Keywords:
delirium, intensive care, nursingAbstract
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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