Background: Delirium is costly and fatality rate with recurrence is high. A year health costs of delirium per person ranges from $16,303 to $64,621. The national cost of delirium if between $38 billion and $152 billion yearly. About 56% to 65% individuals admitted to hospitals become delirious. Evidence reports that early recognition of risk factors, and diagnosis can result in prevention of delirium. Reports linked superficial mental status assessment with inadequate nursing practice. Foreground: Impact of nurses using standardized screening tools to conduct mental status assessment is important for the survival of patients and costs containment of effective quality care. Evidence indicates that screening is the most importance aspect of delirium prevention compared to its management. Mental status assessment with Mini Mental State Exam and Confusion Assessment Method can improve nursing practice and decrease negative impact of delirium. EBP Framework: The Clinical Scholar Model served as theoretical framework through teamwork, consultation and collaboration. The Cognitive Behavior Theory is the theoretical foundation for the model and is behavior change oriented for quality patient care, practice improvement and clinical excellence. Methods: The organization’s leadership support, organizational readiness for EBP was established with the Organizational Culture and Readiness for System-wide integration of Evidence-based Practice. Nurses participated in pre/post-intervention survey events about their practice now and after knowledge, attitudes toward mental status screening using the MMSE and CAM. Nurses’ belief in EBP were measured by the Evidence-based Practice Beliefs tool (EBPB). Their behavioral in implementing evidence-based activity was measured by the Evidence-based Practice Implementation scale (EBPI). All charts were reviewed for 8-week prior to and after intervention periods. Findings/Results: Descriptive data from retrospective charts review was used to compare pre/post intervention results on using the MMSE and CAM for mental status assessment of incoming patients within the 8-week pre/post intervention time. Improvement was 100% after the interventional period of nurses using the MMSE and CAM tools with consistency for mental status assessment. Conclusions/Recommendations: Educational intervention encouraging collaboration, teamwork and nurses accountability for their individual nursing care can improve nursing practice and patient care. Interventional strategy guided by the CMS and CBT have shown to improve nurses behavior in implementing patient care based on EBP. Strategies are developed to remove barriers to implementing EBP intervention through marketing and risk analysis for sustainability of practice change.
