Clinical Nurses’ Awareness Structure of Delirium – An Analysis of Spontaneous Utterances in a Group Interview by DEMATEL Method –

In the 1990s, the Japanese population aged 65 and over increased to more than 14%, and Japan became an “aging society.” Now, one in five people are 65 or over (23.4%, and one in ten people are 75 or over (1.6%, meaning that Japanese society is aging substantially. The serious problems that acute hospitals now face involve complications of diseases that are typified by deliriu, and their prevention. Patients with delirium have a higher risk of falling and dying, and delirium has a negative influence on treatment and nursing as well as on a patient’s vital prognosis. However, delirium is a mental state that is often overlooked. Thus, it is very important to develop the observation skills of staff and establish a nursing care system that does not overlook delirium. In this study, we conducted group interviews involving the clinical nurses who care for patients with delirium on a routine basis at Kansai Medical University Takii Hospital, Japan. Their spontaneous utterances about delirium were analyzed using the DEMATEL method, and these utterances were divided into two groups: “causes of delirium” and “delirious patients’ behavior.” From each group, keywords and phrases were chosen and analyzed. Consequently, this study will demonstrate how these clinical nurses feel about delirium and delirious patients.