Postoperative Delirium Nursing Practices and Factors Influencing Confidence in Delirium Care Among Surgical Ward Nurses for Elderly Patients: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the current status of postoperative delirium care for elderly patients and to identify factors related to surgical ward nurses’ confidence in providing delirium care. Methods: A total of 119 surgical ward nurses from a university hospital in Seoul participated in the study between September 20 and October 3, 2024. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical regression with SPSS version 29.0. Results: Among the 119 surgical ward nurses, 96.6% experienced difficulty caring for elderly patients with postoperative delirium. In total, 62.2% had received delirium care education, but 43.2% reported that this education was not helpful. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that nurses with more than 10 years of experience had higher confidence in postoperative delirium care, while those with less than 2 years of experience had lower confidence. Additionally, greater delirium-related knowledge was significantly associated with increased confidence in caring for elderly postoperative delirium patients. Conclusion: Surgical ward nurses face challenges in postoperative delirium care, with clinical experience and delirium knowledge influencing confidence. Competency-based education and standardized protocols are needed to improve care quality and to reduce burden.