TITLE:
Factors Associated with the Frequency of Nursing Records for Delirium Care: A Cross-Sectional Study in Japanese Acute Care Hospitals
AUTHORS:
Ken-ichi Matsuda, Katsuhiko Hattori
KEYWORDS:
Delirium Care, Nursing Records, Nurses, Acute Care Hospitals, Associated Factors
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.16 No.2,
February
3,
2026
ABSTRACT: Aim: This study aimed to identify the factors associated with the frequency of nursing records for delirium care among nurses in acute care hospitals in Japan. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2022 and October 2023. Request letters were sent to a random sample of 187 general acute-care hospitals in Japan. Of these, 41 agreed to participate, after which 520 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to nurses with a cumulative experience of three years or more. The survey instrument included the Self-Rated Nursing Record Frequency for Delirium Care of Nurses in Acute Care Hospitals (NRDC-Acute). This questionnaire was formulated to gather data on the respondents’ demographics and nursing record frequency for delirium care and to investigate 21 variables. Multiple regression analysis was performed. Results: Among the distributed questionnaires, 218 (41.9%) were returned. The multiple regression analysis results showed that “total years of experience as a shift leader nurse in their wards” and “experience attending training related to nursing records” were associated with the frequency of nursing record use for delirium care. Conclusions: Enhancing the delirium care competency of shift leader nurses is essential to enable them to guide staff in effective documentation. Additionally, integrating training on nursing records into delirium care education is recommended. These strategies could facilitate the active information sharing necessary for multidisciplinary collaboration.