The Importance of Nursing Care for Patients with Delirium

Purpose：The purpose of this study was to clarify the nurses’ recognition of the importance of care for patients with delirium.
Methods：The subjects of this study were nurses who were taking care of patients with delirium in the hospital. The patients were adults or elderly with delirium caused by physical factor, with a temporary reduction in cognitive function. Nurses were asked to describe what was important when they took care of patients with delirium. The data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Text Analytics for Survey （TAfS） software.
Results：The most frequently used keywords were “falling on the ground/ floor or from a bed”. The thirty seven categories were classified and were divided into six domains as follow : 【Securing safety through accident prevention】, 【Careful dealing while respecting the patient’s personality】, 【Early start of assessment to prevent aggravation】, 【Assessment of delirium】, 【Ensuring well-being】, and 【Team actions】.
Conclusions ： Thirty seven categories were classified into six domains. This study has revealed that nurses recognized safety and human rights as important particularly for patients with delirium.