PURPOSE:This study was conducted to examine the effects of a delirium management program on nursing practice and nurses' stress in comprehensive nursing care service units.

METHODS:A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The participants were 70 nurses in comprehensive nursing care service units. The nurses were assigned to either a experimental group (n=35) or a control group (n=35). The experimental group received a delirium management program. Data were analyzed using χ² test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test and ANCOVA.

RESULTS:The experimental group showed higher nursing practice than the control group (F=7.86, p=.007). The experimental group showed lower nurses' stress than the control group (F=10.73 p=.002).

CONCLUSION:The findings indicated that a delirium management program was an effective intervention to improve nursing practice and reduce nurses' stress in comprehensive nursing care service units.