DOI

10.21007/con.dnp.2025.0102

Faculty Advisor

Tracy McClinton, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 4-10-2025

Disciplines

Geriatric Nursing | Geriatrics | Health and Medical Administration | Investigative Techniques | Medicine and Health Sciences | Mental and Social Health | Nursing | Nursing Administration | Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing | Quality Improvement | Therapeutics

Abstract

Purpose/Background

Delirium is an acute disorder yielding cognitive deficits, such as disruption in attention and awareness. It impacts approximately 50% of individuals over the age of 65 who are admitted to the hospital and is prevalent with patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). ICU delirium is associated with adverse outcomes, including higher morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, and chronic neurocognitive deficits. Research demonstrates that implementation of a non-pharmacological sleep bundle can reduce the overall occurrence of delirium. The purpose of this scoping review is to examine the efficacy of a non-pharmacological sleep bundle on the incidence of ICU delirium in geriatric patients.

Methods

Between August 2022 and November 2024, a scoping literature review was conducted using the following keywords: ICU delirium in geriatric patients and non-pharmacological sleep aids for ICU delirium. The four primary outcomes for analysis were implementation of age-appropriate treatments (IAAT), incidence of delirium associated with non-pharmacological sleep interventions (IDNST), ICU sleep quality (ICUSQ), and length of stay in the ICU (ICULOS). 12 articles were chosen for inclusion in this review based on quality and relevance to the topic.

Results

This review shows that non-pharmacological sleep bundles can decrease the incidence of ICU delirium and create a marginal improvement in sleep quality in the ICU. There was not enough relevant research to show if non-pharmacological sleep bundles can decrease ICU length of stay or whether these bundles have any specific impact on the geriatric population.

Implications for Nursing Practice

Implementing a non-pharmacological sleep bundle in the ICU for geriatric patients above the age of 65 is associated with a lower incidence of ICU delirium. Further research is needed to examine the effectiveness of non-pharmacological sleep bundles on the quality of sleep in the ICU and the length of stay in the ICU, specifically in geriatric populations.

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