Patient restraints are measures used to limit the activity or control the behaviour of a person or a portion of their body. More specifically, according to the Patient Restraints Minimization Act of Ontario, “restrain means, with respect to a person, to place the person under control by the minimal use of such force, mechanical means or chemicals as is reasonable having regard to the person’s physical and mental
condition”.1 Nurses are legally and professionally accountable for providing appropriate and safe care, including knowing when to act if a patient’s safety or well-being is compromised. This may include applying restraints. Legally, there is generally no distinction between the types of restraints that may be used. This InfoLAW will outline legal, ethical, and other considerations
that nurses should be mindful of when using patient restraints. The types of restraints a nurse will most commonly see are: Patient restraints can be used if it is necessary to protect the patient from harming themselves or another person. They may be used in an emergency situation where danger is imminent. Provincial or territorial legislation relating to mental health may specifically address the use of restraints within a mental health setting.4 A patient has the right to autonomy of their person. A competent patient may prefer to take the risk of injury, rather than be restrained. Nurses must respect this right and consider other measures to reduce the risk of patient injury.5 Restraints should never be used as punishment, as a substitute for nursing care, or as a matter of convenience for the healthcare provider. Restraints may have serious negative physical, social and psychological effects on the patient. The use of restraints should be based on the patient’s individual presentation, current condition and behaviors, and other ongoing assessments, resulting in reasonable interventions.6 Further, restraints should only be used for the shortest time necessary when crisis and de-escalation management strategies have failed to keep the person or others safe.7 A physician or nurse practitioner will typically be the one to order the restraint. 8 The use of standing orders or the long-term use of restraints is not generally appropriate. Are there legal risks related to using restraints?Yes, inappropriate use of restraints may lead to legal action or regulatory investigation. On the other hand, there are also legal risks in failing to take reasonable precautions to prevent injury to the patient and others. The examples below highlight certain aspects of patient restraints that courts may have to consider. Patients have alleged that the use of restraints violated their rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For example, a patient at a mental health facility was given medication by injection when he became threatening and out of control. He sued, alleging the injection violated his Charter, common law and statutory rights. The Court found that the injection was justified in order to ensure the safety of the patient and others and there was no breach of his rights.9 In one case, the nurse acted against the physician’s and crisis team’s orders and removed two of the four points restraints that had been imposed to the patient. This resulted in a violent outburst from the patient. The discipline committee found that the nurse “had violated College standards when she removed restraints without doing a psychiatric assessment, the gravity of the situation, the danger that people were placed in and the fact that the [nurse] had willfully removed the restraints and placed staff and herself at risk.” The nurse received a five-day suspension.10 On the other hand, a disciplinary decision from the Nurses Association of New Brunswick found that a nurse had “ordered that patients be restrained without assessing other alternatives,”11 inappropriately administered medications and failed to document according to the standards of practice. Once the Discipline Committee found that the nurse had violated the Code of Ethics, and their provincial standards of practice, they ordered that the nurse be suspended until specific conditions are met. The nurse also had to pay a fine and a portion of the costs incurred during the proceedings.12 How might a nurse manage risk when using restraints?Policies and Procedures Consent Monitoring Professional Standards and Legislation Documentation
For more information on general documentation, please consult our InfoLAW on the topic. SummaryNurses should be familiar with their nursing regulator’s guidelines and professional standards regarding patient restraints. As the restriction of a person’s freedom may be seen as a denial of that person’s basic Charter rights, such action must only be undertaken after serious consideration has been given to all other possible alternatives. CNPS beneficiaries can contact CNPS at 1-800-267-3390 to speak with a member of CNPS legal counsel. All calls are confidential. December 2021
THIS PUBLICATION IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. NOTHING IN THIS PUBLICATION SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE FROM ANY LAWYER, CONTRIBUTOR OR THE CNPS. READERS SHOULD CONSULT LEGAL COUNSEL FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE. What should the nurse do prior to applying physical restraints?Nurses assess and determine the need for a client to be restrained or secluded and they also assess the appropriateness of the type of restraint/safety device that is used in context with the client's current condition and behaviors; they assess and reassess the client in a regular and ongoing basis to insure that the ...
Which of the following is correct about physical restraints?Chapter 13. What is physical restraint in nursing?Physical restraint is any manual method attached to the patient's body that restricts freedom of movement.[1] In hospital settings, physical restraints were used largely to avoid falls and stop confused patients from harming themselves and others.[2] Confused patients often remove their therapeutic devices their ...
Which level of health care provider may make the decision to apply physical restraints to a client?Nurses, which are the professionals most present at the patient's bedside, have been shown to be the main decision-makers regarding the application of physical restraints.
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