Exploring the ethics of physical restraints: Students' questioning

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Bioethics
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Physical restraints are common in Japanese acute care settings.
• Little is known about nursing students' perspectives on restraint use and its ethical implications.
• Students' experiences with restraints can challenge their understanding of nursing values and practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nursing students' questions regarding the use of patient physical restraints.
• To explore how nursing students understand the ethics of restraint application in nursing practice.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive research utilizing narrative analysis.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 recent bachelor's degree nursing graduates.
• Thematic analysis was applied to experiential data concerning restraint encounters.

Main Results:

• Students questioned the balance between person-centered care, patient autonomy, and restraint use.
• Participants analyzed restraint policies, often perceiving them as security measures rather than therapeutic interventions.
• Restraint experiences prompted students to reflect on their nursing values and advocate for patients, highlighting a need for enhanced ethical reasoning.

Conclusions:

• Clinical experiences with physical restraints create ethical dilemmas for nursing students.
• Further research into nursing education strategies in non-psychiatric settings is crucial for reducing physical restraint use.
• Educational approaches should encourage reflection and questioning to inform ethical decision-making and promote patient advocacy.