International Journal of Nursing Research

Objective To investigate the implementation effects of goal-directed sedation nursing in emergency department patients undergoing mechanical ventilation and its impact on delirium incidence. Methods A total of 86 patients receiving mechanical ventilation treatment in our hospital’s emergency department from January 2023 to January 2024 were selected as research subjects. They were randomly divided into a control group (43 cases) and an observation group (43 cases) using a random number table method. The control group received routine sedation nursing, while the observation group received goal-directed sedation nursing. Two core observation indicators—sedation attainment time and delirium incidence—were compared between the two groups. Additionally, mechanical ventilation duration, hospitalization duration, and adverse event occurrences were recorded. Results The sedation attainment time in the observation group was (2.35±0.62) hours, significantly shorter than the control group’s (3.82±0.75) hours (P<0.05). The delirium incidence rate in the observation group was 9.30% (4/43), significantly lower than the control group’s 27.91% (12/43) (P<0.05). Moreover, the observation group showed shorter mechanical ventilation duration, shorter hospitalization duration, and lower adverse event rates compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Implementing goal-directed sedation nursing for emergency department patients undergoing mechanical ventilation can effectively shorten sedation attainment time, reduce delirium incidence, and simultaneously decrease mechanical ventilation duration and hospitalization time while reducing adverse events. This approach demonstrates significant clinical application value.

Goal-oriented sedative nursing; Emergency department; Mechanical ventilation; Time to achieve sedation target; Delirium incidence rate