Nursing personnel's perceptions of physical restraint use in long-term care

The use of physical restraints as an accepted clinical intervention was dramatically changed by enactment of legislation in the United States. As a result, nursing personnel's notions of restraints as a therapeutic intervention were challenged. This study was initiated to obtain a better understanding of the underlying motivations for restraint use as a clinical intervention and to provide data helpful to nursing staff as they make the transition to restraint-free care. In the study, 124 long-term-care nursing personnel were surveyed regarding their perceptions of restraint use, and were asked whether or not they would recommend using restraints in selected clinical situations. Results of stepwise regression showed that 40% of the variation in the recommendation to use restraints can be explained by the type of nursing personnel (licensed nurse vs. nursing assistant), liability and treatment concerns related to restraint use, age of the nursing staff, and a belief that reducing restraints increases the need for psychoactive medications.