Restraint in the care of children

As a nursing student on an emergency department (ED) placement, the author of this article experienced personal and professional conflict while restraining a child during a clinical procedure. This experience should be familiar to ED nurses, many of whom, however, lack confidence in the use of restraint techniques. This article describes how nurses can acquire this confidence while understanding the practical and legal implications of restraint. The article emphasises the importance of involving children and their families or carers in therapeutic partnerships before consent to restraint is sought. It also presents three levels of holding.