Purpose: To explore nurse reports of how they manage confusion in hospitalized elders and to describe barriers and facilitators to providing care.
Methods: Focus group methodology was used; group sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Seventeen nurses participated in three-60 minute sessions in a central Pennsylvania hospital. Data were analyzed using content and thematic analysis.
Results: Three broad themes were identified: Our Duty is to Protect, Finding Your Balance, and Confusion is Normal. Nurses (mean age = 43 years, mean years of experience = 13 years) did not have a formal way to assess delirium or to choose non-pharmacological interventions. They were often conflicted about how to balance the care of patients with confusion.
Conclusions: In this context, a prominent theme was the need for nurses to protect themselves and their patients. Nurses used a variety of approaches to balance the demands of their patients with confusion. Implications for practice and research will be discussed.
