Standard of practice protocol: Acute confusion delirium

Acute confusion, also known as delirium, is a prevalent disorder that contr ibutes to poor outcomes of care. Because of their inability to think clearl y, delirious patients are unable to care for themselves and often exhibit u nsafe behaviors, resulting in an increased use of physical and pharmacologi c restraints. Consequently, the goal of this article is to delineate preven tion and treatment guidelines for acutely confused patients and thereby imp rove nursing care for this vulnerable patient population.