Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Jane Loscheider

Abstract

Purpose: Successful recovery from an intensive care stay is influenced by many factors, including length of stay, medical ventilation requirements, and the extent of surgical interventions such as cardiac, intracranial surgery, neurosurgery, and vascular neurosurgery. A major barrier to achieving a full recovery can be delirium, which is seen in 80% of critical care patients. Delirium is described as a severe change in mental abilities and a short-term cause of cerebral impairment that can present as distortion or psychosis and is associated with numerous conditions. While critical care-related delirium typically lasts less than a week, those affected by longer periods of delirium are shown to have a decrease in cognitive, physical, and sensory processes one year following the delirium, leading to decreased independence and function in ADLs and IADLs.

Method: The primary author completed a literature review on patients with delirium in the ICU following the model of Ecology of Human Performance (EHP). Once on-site, the author completed direct patient care with patients with delirium in the ICU as well as collaborated with family and other healthcare professionals on-site.

Results: The results of this doctoral experience were that the author was able to provide educational handouts for family, nursing, providers, and the therapy team to bridge the gap in care being provided to patients with delirium.

Conclusion: Results of this doctoral experience the author included educational handouts for the interprofessional team. The EHP model was helpful when completing the occupational therapy ix process with complex medical patients and in creating the anticipated result of the educational handout is to improve the care being provided to patients with delirium. The implications of the educational materials are ongoing, and the author and site will continue to receive feedback.

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