Procedural restraint in children's nursing: using clinical benchmarks

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Clinical Procedures
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Limited research and established protocols exist for restraining children during common clinical procedures.
• The absence of standardized guidelines can lead to inconsistent and potentially inadequate care.
• Student nurses identified a critical need for evidence-based practices in pediatric procedural restraint.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the current use of child restraint techniques during venepuncture, cannulation, and lumbar puncture.
• To develop a clinical practice benchmark for procedural restraint of children.
• To address the identified gap in research and guidelines for pediatric procedural restraint.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on child restraint in clinical settings.
• Development of a clinical practice benchmark through a collaborative student nurse initiative.
• Focus on common pediatric procedures including venepuncture, cannulation, and lumbar puncture.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive clinical practice benchmark for procedural restraint was created.
• The benchmark aims to standardize and improve the safety and efficacy of child restraint.
• The initiative highlights the role of student nurses in addressing clinical practice deficiencies.

Conclusions:

• The developed benchmark provides a foundational resource for improving child restraint practices.
• Standardized protocols are essential for ensuring safe and effective procedural care for children.
• Further research and implementation of such benchmarks are recommended to enhance pediatric patient safety.