Do critical care nurses recognize delirium adequately? A cross-sectional multicenter study

Objective: Delirium is a common and often misdiagnosed condition associated with increased mortality and cognitive dysfunction in intensive care units. Critical care nurses have a unique opportunity as healthcare providers to assess for and early identify delirium. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of critical care nurses about delirium care. Materials and Methods: The study were conducted between April 2022-July 2022 with critical care nurses who had at least one year of experience working in three hospitals. The study data were collected with the “Nurse Characteristic Form” and “Delirium Care Knowledge Questionnaire”. Results: In total, 253 nurses completed the test. The overall mean score was 10.66±2.29 (possible range 0-16). Correct answers for the subject areas were as follows: (a) 71.1% in symptoms, types, and outcomes; (b) 71.4% in high-risk groups; (c) 81.5% in predisposing and precipitating factors; and (d) 42.7% in assessment and detection. The questions with a high percentage of wrong answers were related to delirium subtypes and assessment. Delirium knowledge scores increased significantly with increasing age and with greater work experience (p