Document Type

Final Project

Graduation Date

Spring 5-7-2022

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

First Advisor

Cheryl Bagley Thompson PhD, RN

Second Advisor

Sue Barnason PhD, RN, APRN-CNS, CEN, CCRN, FAEN, FAHA, FAAN

Abstract

Introduction: Delirium is associated with longer hospital stays, increased mortality, high medical costs, and poorer functional outcomes (Oh et al., 2014; Robinson & Eiseman, 2008). This project evaluated the use of the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) tool to screen hospitalized older adult hip fracture patients for delirium. This project also measured the effectiveness of the implementation of the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) volunteers as a non-pharmacological intervention to alleviate delirium. This project was implemented on the Orthopedic/Neurological unit of a Midwest tertiary care hospital.

Methods: The study had a retrospective, descriptive design. The investigators evaluated the use of the CAM tool to identify delirium in hospitalized older adult hip fracture patients over a 6-week timeframe from mid-March 2019 through May 2019. Data were obtained on 23 participants with the use of the electronic CAM tool, the Electronic Medical Record data collection methods, and the HELP volunteer Data collection form. Twenty-two participants met the inclusion criteria.

Findings: The investigators found the CAM tool was not always utilized every 12 hours as specified in the protocol. Furthermore, the HELP volunteer intervention was not utilized in the study. Therefore, the investigators were unable to determine the impact of the HELP volunteers on patient CAM scores.

Conclusion: The CAM tool was not utilized consistently by the nurses. Further study is needed to investigate the reasons for the deviation from protocol and the impact of the non-pharmacological intervention on the CAM scores of the patients.

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