Patient restraints. Protection for whom?
Healthcare providers often face the decision of whether to restrain a patient. If the patient suffers an injury based on the decision not to restrain, will the provider be held liable? Healthcare providers express concern about the legalities of using restraints to prevent patient injuries and about which circumstances would be considered appropriate to restrain patients. This article presents case law that delineates what standard of nursing care generally must be breached before nurses will be held liable for injury from the use or nonuse of restraints. Policies and guidelines for consideration by nurse executives in the use of patient restraints are presented.
University of Oklahoma College of Nursing, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. margaret@okla.net
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D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States