BACKGROUND:Clinical staff showed a knowledge deficit with identifying and managing delirium. The effect of a validated assessment tool and delirium education on staff knowledge and confidence and patient outcomes was analyzed. METHOD:A descriptive qualitative and quantitative pre- and postintervention study analyzed the demographics of patients with stroke and clinical outcomes pre- and postimplementation of an assessment tool and delirium staff education. RESULTS:Early and frequent delirium assessments, use of an assessment tool, a delirium order set, and education for clinical staff resulted in increased knowledge and confidence with identifying and managing patients with stroke, an increase in the number of patients with stroke discharged home, and decreased incidence of hospital-acquired urinary tract infection and pneumonia. CONCLUSION:Delirium education positively impacts staff knowledge and confidence with the identification and management of delirium. Patients with an acute stroke may benefit from early and frequent delirium assessments. Staff education, structured assessment frequency with a validated assessment tool, and specific interventions affect patient outcomes, such as infection rates and discharge level of care.
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