Daphne Duncombe
Public Hospitals Authority, Bahamas
Title: Nurses knowledge, attitudes and practices related to the use of restrictive care interventions
Biography
Biography: Daphne Duncombe
Abstract
Background: It is evident from previous research studies that a number of factors exist which can influence the uptake of restrictive practices in the management of challenging behavior. Variability in the use of restrictive interventions across countries has been found, suggesting that their continued use is likely to be driven by factors other than the behavior of patients. This study surveys the perceptions of nurses working in various settings in The Bahamas with respect to their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the use of restrictive care interventions.
Method: A convenience sample was used to self-administer questionnaires to 130 nurses working in the psychiatric, geriatric and emergency settings. The questionnaire examined nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the use of restrictive interventions including seclusion, physical restraints, forced medication and the removal of patient privileges.
Results: Participants were predominantly female (79.5%) and fell in the 41 to 50 years age group (32.8%). Of nurses surveyed, only 29.7% indicated that they fully understood the concept of using the least restrictive alternative in clinical practice. Nurses’ attitudes were found to generally reflect a tendency towards the use of restrictive interventions. There was also a high incidence of restraint use observed among emergency nurses.
Discussion and Conclusions: The findings of this research, revealed that nurses could benefit from additional training. The study also draws attention to the need for changing nurses’ attitudes if any strategy for reducing restrictive practice is to be successful.