Experiences of surgical intensive care nurses on delirium: A phenomenological study

Abstract

Purpose: The study aims to reveal the perceptions and care practices of nurses working in surgical intensive care units towards delirium in more depth. Methods: The study is qualitative research with a phenomenological design. Twenty nurses working in the surgical intensive care units of a university hospital and giving care to patients diagnosed with delirium before were included in the study. The data of the research were obtained by interview method, one of the qualitative data collection methods. The obtained qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis method. Results: The methods used by nurses in the diagnosis of delirium were divided into two main themes subjective and objective. Nurses' care interventions were divided into six themes: providing and maintaining a safe environment, communication, eating and drinking, mobilization, sleeping, and dependent interventions/others. In addition, the difficulties experienced by nurses are divided into three themes: patient-related difficulties, systemic difficulties, and individual difficulties. Conclusion: It is noteworthy that in this study, nurses did not specify some evidence-based interventions related to delirium care. In addition, it was determined in the study that nurses had some difficulties while giving care.