Nu-DESC — Nursing Delirium Screening Scale
2005Observational five-item scale designed for fast, repeated screening by bedside nurses across a shift.
85.7%
Sensitivity*
86.8%
Specificity*
n=146
Sample
Full nameNursing Delirium Screening Scale
Also known asNuDESC
PurposeMonitoring / repeated screening
PopulationAdult
SettingGeneral / acute hospital, Palliative care
Items5
Administration~1 min
EvidenceMultiple validation studies
Reference typeOriginal validation study
Reference standardCAM / DSM-IV
Validation samplen = 146
Cut-off / scoring≥2 of 10
Strengths＋ Very fast; repeated observational screening across a shift
Limitations− Developed largely in oncology inpatients
Real-world useInpatient positive-score rates 5–13%, often below expected delirium prevalence. (Penfold 2024)
ReferenceGaudreau JD, Gagnon P, Harel F, Tremblay A, Roy MA. Fast, systematic, and continuous delirium assessment in hospitalized patients: the nursing delirium screening scale. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2005;29(4):368-75. PMID 15857740
Key studies
* Where shown, sensitivity/specificity are from the cited validation cohort and are not pooled estimates. Citation metadata was checked against PubMed or the publisher DOI record; a checked reference does not imply validation, study quality or endorsement. See the Methodology.