Degrees of restrictiveness in psychosocial nursing

Individual items identified as components of restrictiveness were conceptualized to form six dimensions: structure, treatment, institutional policy, enforcement, psychological attitudes and patient characteristics. These varying perspectives complicate implementation of a nursing standard requiring least restrictive intervention since least restrictiveness is more than just a set of techniques. It also involves the adoption and incorporation of the underlying social and philosophical issues implicit in this term. This incorporation should not occur casually but should proceed following careful consideration of the congruency between the current legal and social values and the values basic to nursing.