Palliative care nurses' recognition and assessment of patients with delirium symptoms: a qualitative study using critical incident technique

Annmarie Hosie; Meera Agar; Elizabeth Lobb; Patricia M Davidson; Jane Phillips

doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.02.005

Palliative care nurses' recognition and assessment of patients with delirium symptoms: a qualitative study using critical incident technique

Int J Nurs Stud. 2014 Oct;51(10):1353-65. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.02.005. Epub 2014 Feb 28.

Authors

Annmarie Hosie¹, Meera Agar², Elizabeth Lobb³, Patricia M Davidson⁴, Jane Phillips⁵

Affiliations

¹ The University of Notre Dame Australia, School of Nursing, 160 Oxford St , Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia. Electronic address: annmarie.hosie1@my.nd.edu.au.
² Braeside Hospital, HammondCare, Department of Palliative Care, 340 Prairie Vale Rd., Prairiewood, NSW 2176, Australia; ImPaCCT: Improving Palliative Care through Clinical Trials (New South Wales Palliative Care Clinical Trials Group), South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Faculty of Medicine, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Flinders University, Palliative and Supportive Services, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
³ ImPaCCT: Improving Palliative Care through Clinical Trials (New South Wales Palliative Care Clinical Trials Group), South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Faculty of Medicine, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Calvary Health Care Sydney, Palliative Care Department, 91-111 Rocky Point Rd., Kogarah, NSW, Australia; Cunningham Centre for Palliative Care, Sacred Heart Hospice, St Vincent's Health Network, 170 Darlinghurst St, Darlinghurst, 2010 NSW, Australia.
⁴ ImPaCCT: Improving Palliative Care through Clinical Trials (New South Wales Palliative Care Clinical Trials Group), South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Faculty of Medicine, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; University of Technology, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Level 7, Building 10, Jones Street, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
⁵ The University of Notre Dame Australia, School of Nursing, 160 Oxford St , Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; ImPaCCT: Improving Palliative Care through Clinical Trials (New South Wales Palliative Care Clinical Trials Group), South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Faculty of Medicine, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Cunningham Centre for Palliative Care, Sacred Heart Hospice, St Vincent's Health Network, 170 Darlinghurst St, Darlinghurst, 2010 NSW, Australia.

PMID: 24630378
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.02.005

Abstract

Background: Delirium is prevalent in palliative care inpatient settings and management is often challenging. Despite nurses' integral patient care role, little is known about palliative care nurses' capacity to recognise, assess and respond to patients' delirium symptoms.

Objective: To explore the experiences, views and practices of inpatient palliative care nurses in delirium recognition and assessment.

Settings and participants: 30 nurses from nine Australian specialist palliative care inpatient services.

Design and methods: Critical incident technique (CIT) guided a series of semi-structured interviews. Prior to interviews participants were given a vignette of a palliative care inpatient with an unrecognised hypoactive delirium, to prompt their recollection and recounting of a similar clinical incident. Clearly recalled and described incidents were analysed using thematic content analysis.

Findings: 20 of 30 participants recalled and described 28 relevant delirium incidents. Two themes and six sub-themes provide a general description of participants' experiences, views and practice in delirium recognition and assessment. Participants experience distress related to caring for patients with delirium and express compassion and empathy for delirious patients. Enhancing their delirium knowledge, strengthening collaborative multidisciplinary team relationships and better communication are important supports. Some participants, usually those in advance practice roles, describe more comprehensive assessment capabilities that incorporate clinical expertise with whole person awareness, yet systematic and structured delirium screening and assessment processes and application of the delirium diagnosis criteria are largely missing. Use of ambiguous terminology to describe delirium symptoms contributes to ineffective practice.

Conclusions: The findings of this study expands our understanding of how palliative care nurses' capacity to recognise and assess patients' delirium symptoms in the inpatient setting could be strengthened.

Keywords: Assessment; Critical incident technique; Delirium; Nursing; Palliative care; Screening.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Delirium / nursing*
Humans
Nursing Staff / psychology*
Palliative Care*
Qualitative Research
Workforce