https://doi.org/10.4081/gc.2026.14859
Evaluating the efficacy of a delirium educational program for medical-surgical nurses
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Published: 10 July 2026
The prevalence of delirium in general medical settings varies between 23% and 42%. The populations at significant risk for delirium include hospitalized adults aged 65 years and older. Delirium is associated with falls, functional decline, cognitive impairment, and high medical costs. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis of Vassar Brothers Medical Center’s strengths included adopting the Short-CAM delirium screening tool for patients aged 18 years and older. However, delirium remained underrecognized. Nurses have a significantly higher rate of patient interaction than any other healthcare professional. A literature review found that nurses lacked theoretical knowledge of delirium, and multimodal education effectively increased knowledge. The Iowa model framework was used due to its practicality and adaptability in the clinical setting. A practice change project consisting of a pre-and post-assessment method for 30 seasoned and novice nurses in the 30-bed neuroscience medical-surgical unit was developed. It included a 50-minute web-based module sent via email and eight 10-minute in-person sessions. The expected outcomes were to improve nurses’ knowledge of delirium and improve nurses’ recognition of delirium risk factors by 20% within 5 weeks. There was a statistically significant increase in mean percentage scores from the pre-assessment to the post-assessment surveys (z=-3.77, p≤0.001). Nurses’ post-assessment scores increased in knowledge of delirium, tools used for delirium assessments, and recognition of delirium risk factors. There was a limitation in the small sample size of 22. Delirium education should be part of the annual education of nurses and should be available to new nurses during orientation.
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