Delirium is a well recognised and serious problem in adult
intensive care patients. With a reported incidence as high as 87%, it has been associated with increased
length of stay, higher costs of care, ongoing
cognitive impairment and increased mortality rates. The problem is so significant that routine, formal
delirium assessment is recommended for all
intensive care patients. However, there is evidence to suggest that few
intensive care nurses are incorporating this screening into their daily practice. The aim of this paper is to discuss what is currently known about
intensive care nurses' attitudes and beliefs in relation to caring for adults who are experiencing
delirium, with a focus on identifying possible barriers to formal
delirium assessment. It will be argued that
intensive care nurses are well placed to perform regular
delirium assessment and therefore have a responsibility to promote an improvement in
delirium assessment practices.