Focus groups: nursing staff's experiences using restraints

A phenomenological approach was used to examine nursing staff's experiences using physical restraints. A total of 12 nurses from a tertiary hospital participated in one of three focus groups. Exploring the attitudes of nurses can contribute to a better understanding of how decisions are made concerning restraints. An analysis of the focus group data resulted in a description of the lived experiences of nurses using restraints. Seven themes emerged from the data, one of which reflected that the nurses felt ambiguous about restraints, yet they made judgments and justified their decisions after assessing patient characteristics, environmental safety, and unit traditions. Nurse clinicians could use the focus group method to sensitize themselves to the staff's needs and to allow staff the opportunity to share ideas and to dispel misconceptions about restraints.