Jing Yang,1,* Mei Liu,1,* Lei Yang,1 Shujing Fang,2 Guangling Wang,2 Zejuan Gu1 

1Nursing Department, Jiangsu Province Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Orthopedics Department, Jiangsu Province Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Zejuan Gu, Nursing Department, Jiangsu province hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8602568305379, Email jassicagu@163.com

Objective: To analyze the current utilisation of delirium risk assessment and screening for older patients after hip fracture surgery in tertiary hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 to April 30, 2023 among nurses working in orthopedics from Level III hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China. Data were collected using a self-designed questionnaire that focused on the utilisation of delirium risk assessment and prevention measures for older patients after hip fracture surgery. The questionnaire was administered through the online platform Questionnaire Star. Differences between data were analyzed using chi-square and rank-sum tests.
Results: A total of 616 nurses from 48 hospitals in Jiangsu province responded to the survey. Among them, 50.17% reported having no training in delirium management, 66.88% did not assess patients for delirium risk, and 73.21% did not screen patients for delirium in their clinical practice. It was observed that nurses with longer tenure, nurses specialising in orthopaedics, and nurses with ICU experience were more attentive to delirium risk assessment and delirium screening of patients (P< 0.001).
Conclusion: Medical institutions must focus on strengthening nurses’ training in delirium management for older patients after hip fracture surgery, improve their ability to undertake risk assessment and risk screening, unify delirium management norms, and ultimately improve nurses’ delirium management ability.

Keywords: risk assessment and screening, delirium, older patients, postoperative Hip fracture