Thoughts on the need for managers’ and nurses’ leadership to improve prevention and management of delirium in critical care

Abstract

The onset of delirium in older adults, especially in critical care units, is a major factor in increasing the length of hospital stays, with multiple significant consequences. Although it is common, delirium frequently manifests as a result of modifiable precipitating factors. Sadly, the current nursing approaches to delirium are often sub-optimal, although guidelines and protocols are available to enable them to intervene quickly, to reduce the incidence and consequences of delirium. A supportive environment is needed in order to introduce new practices into critical care settings, and leadership by managers and nurses is necessary to create an environment conducive to implementation of new practices. -- Keywords : nursing, leadership, critical care, delirium detection, delirium assessment