Effects of case-based confusion assessment methods for intensive care unit training on delirium knowledge and delirium assessment accuracy of intensive care units: A quasi-experimental study

Enhancing delirium assessment and management through nursing education interventions: A scoping review

AIM/OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this scoping review was to explore the characteristics and outcomes of education interventions for nurses focused on delirium assessment and management.

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a prevalent acute and reversible neuropsychiatric syndrome in hospitalized patients. Delirium can cause cognitive, psychiatric and physical impairments and result in prolonged hospital stay, increased risk of readmission and elevated morbidity and mortality rates. Nurses play an essential role in managing delirium. There is a lack of understanding of the existing nursing educational interventions on delirium management.

DESIGN

The study was a scoping review.

METHODS

In this scoping review, we used Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) scoping review framework. We searched articles published between 2019 and 2023 in Academic Search Premier, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and MEDLINE using the following CINAHL/MeSH suggested subject terms: "delirium" in conjunction with "education" "intervention" and "nurse", "nurses" or "nursing." Studies on improving nursing knowledge and practices regarding delirium were included while those focusing on nursing students were excluded. Initial screening involved evaluating article titles and abstracts for relevance from 164 identified articles, followed by a full-text review of 42 articles. Finally, 17 articles were selected for comprehensive analysis. We extracted relevant information from each article and charted the findings in an evidence table.

RESULTS

The 17 selected articles showcased a variety of interventions used to educate nursing staff, such as workshops, simulations, group discussions, online modules and one-on-one coaching. Educational interventions primarily focused on delirium definition, risk factors, assessment and management. These educational interventions enhanced nurses' perception of delirium, boosting their confidence and knowledge in managing delirium. These interventions also led to increased compliance with delirium assessment and management protocols, which ultimately resulted in improved documentation accuracy and patient outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this scoping review suggest that nursing administration need to provide support and education for delirium prevention and management to enhance nursing staff confidence and competence in assessing and managing delirium. The use of interactive educational techniques has demonstrated profound benefits in schema development, expertize promotion and critical thinking. These findings have significant implications for future research, including the identification of essential nursing competencies for educational interventions and the assessment of long-term knowledge retention and its application in nursing practice.

Effects of simulation-based education module on delirium care in undergraduate nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

AIM

To examine the effects of a delirium education module on undergraduate nursing students' knowledge of and perceived confidence and competence in delirium care.

BACKGROUND

Delirium is common in intensive care units (ICUs) and leads to poor clinical outcomes. The under recognition of delirium is a major problem in ICU medicine. Nurses, as first-line health care providers, can address this by recognizing patients who are experiencing delirium. Since undergraduate nursing students will be the future ICU nurses, it is important to deliver the knowledge regarding delirium care. However, education about assessing delirium in ICUs among undergraduate nursing students is lacking.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental study.

METHODS

A total of 74 undergraduate students were divided into an intervention group (n=34) and a comparison group (n=40). A 2-hour simulation-based delirium education module integrated into a critical care curriculum was delivered to the intervention group only. The classroom-based intervention was administered at a medical university in northern Taiwan. Study outcomes were measured using a structured survey including (1) a 16-item delirium care knowledge quiz, (2) confidence in delirium care scale and (3) competence in delirium care scale. The survey was distributed to students before and after the module in December 2020. The Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were adopted to test the differences of all variables between groups. A generalized estimating equation model was used to investigate the adjusted treatment effects.

RESULTS

The participants had a median age of 22 years and 81% were female. The delirium education module yielded greater knowledge (B = 3.04, 95% confidence interval = 2.20-3.88), confidence (B = 4.20, 95% confidence interval = 2.67-5.73) and competence (B = 4.82, 95% confidence interval = 3.33-6.30) in delirium care when the treatment and control groups were compared.

CONCLUSIONS

For undergraduate nursing students, simulation-based education module is effective in improving the knowledge of and confidence and competence in delirium care. It is recommended that this be included in critical care nursing curricula.