Abstract
Abstract Objective To explore the correlation between nurses’ attitude and practice toward physical restraint (PR) in psychiatric settings and identify the factors that influence the use of PR. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A self-designed questionnaire containing a PR scale was used to assess the attitude and practice of registered psychiatric nurses in Guangdong, China, from November 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and ordinal regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results The response rate was 74.6%. The nurses’ responses showed neutral attitude and a moderate level of practice regarding the use of PR. Factors such as age, gender, marital status, professional position, nightshift, and the frequency of training programs on PR showed a significant association with nurses’ attitude and practice concerning PR (P < 0.05). In addition to these factors, this study found that the practice of PR was associated with nurses’ attitude toward it (P < 0.05). Our results showed that nurses with a largely negative attitude toward PR were more likely to use it (OR = 1.91, P < 0.001). Conclusions Clinically, psychiatric nurses with negative attitude are more likely to practice PR. Training and education programs are highly recommended for nursing managers to change the nursing staff’s attitude, since their attitude may have an impact on the PR what they practice.
Highlights
In psychiatric settings, unstoppable disruption and aggression result in critical impacts on patients and nursing staff
The nurses’ responses showed neutral attitude and a moderate level of practice regarding the use of physical restraint (PR)
The analysis of 753 psychiatric nurses’ personal and professional characteristics demonstrated that almost half of them were aged between 25 and 35 years (47.9%) (Table 1)
Summary
Unstoppable disruption and aggression result in critical impacts on patients and nursing staff. Under such circumstances, physical restraint (PR) is regarded as one of the potential approaches which guarantee the safety of patients and nurses.[1] PR refers to any manual method, material, or equipment that hinders the ability of a person to locomote or prevents an individual from moving freely.[2] In China, PR is used as an alternative to cope with violent behaviors, manage patients with severe mental disorders, avoid injury, and reduce agitation. From patients’ point of view, PR is argued to cause physical issues such as skin damage, deep vein thrombosis, nervous system damage, or even death.[7,8] Psychological issues involve demoralization, fear, anger, and losing dignity or respect.[9,10] As for nurses, situations requiring application of PR represent an ethical dilemma and lead to considerably negative emotions such as frustration, fear, guilt, and anxiety.[1]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call