What Nursing Staff Members Really Know About Physical Restraints

Although the use of physical or mechanical restraints is decreasing in long‐term care facilities, there always will be some patients who require them. If a restraint is to be employed at all, it needs to be used correctly. A convenience sample of 118 nursing staff members who work in a county nursing home was asked to complete an 18‐item knowledge questionnaire regarding restraint usage. Scores ranged from 6 to 17 (potential range 0–18), with a mean score of 13.2 (SD = 2.1). Overall, the staff's knowledge level can be considered good; however, there were some areas of concern. For example, a majority of the respondents (82.2%) believed that it was appropriate to keep a patient restrained lying flat in bed. Implications for administrators and rehabilitation nurse clinicians are identified. 1991 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses