Impact of delirium on professionals

Abstract

There is a paucity of empirical research on the impact of delirium on professionals' reactions, interpretations or attitudes to people in a delirious state. This is striking because it stands to reason that it is demanding to take care of a person who is disoriented, perhaps agitated and who may hallucinate and/or act in a manner that calls for interventions involving the use of force or actions that oppose the will of the patient. Apart from some recent intervention studies, there is also little empirical research focusing on the care of delirious patients. Because of the lack of research, deductions will be made from research findings in other areas as well as research findings focusing on the views of patients about what it was like to have been confused, which they narrated afterwards.