title: The influence of staffing levels on the use of seclusion.
abstract: This study focussed on the relationship between the use of seclusion and staff characteristics, such as number of nurses on shift, male-female staff ratio, level of education and level of work experience. A retrospective analysis of staff characteristics was applied to administrative data from ten wards in four mid-sized general psychiatric hospitals in the Netherlands. The data show that two variables were associated with seclusion rates: the male-female staff ratio and the variability in team's work experience. More female and less male nurses in a shift and less variability in team's work experience predicted an increase in seclusion rates.
authors.affiliation: GGNet, Warnsveld, The Netherlands. wim.janssen@ggnet.nl
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noorthoorn
authors.forename: Roland van
authors.initials: Rv
authors.lastname: Linge
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lendemeijer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010356:Patient Isolation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control