The Alternatives to Restraints

Ongoing assessment and monitoring changes in physical and cognitive functional abilities, with a carefully detailed plan of rehabilitative and restorative nursing, can deter staff's feelings of having to rely on restraint use for safety.

Abstract

Nurses frequently verbalize their ambivalence towards the use of restraints, but have lacked efforts to change or decrease the practice. The decision of whether to use restraints may be based on a perception of threat of safety to self or others, the staff's tolerance levels for behavior, a perception of short staffing, or a knowledge gap of alternative approaches. Ongoing assessment and monitoring changes in physical and cognitive functional abilities, with a carefully detailed plan of rehabilitative and restorative nursing, can deter staff's feelings of having to rely on restraint use for safety.