Standard of practice protocol: acute confusion/delirium. NICHE Faculty.

Acute confusion, also known as delirium, is a prevalent disorder that contributes to poor outcomes of care. Because of their inability to think clearly, delirious patients are unable to care for themselves and often exhibit unsafe behaviors, resulting in an increased use of physical and pharmacologic restraints. Consequently, the goal of this article is to delineate prevention and treatment guidelines for acutely confused patients and thereby improve nursing care for this vulnerable patient population.