Environmental Safety Quality Measures
Restraints are devices or drugs ordered by a physician, and
used by trained personnel, to restrict movement or normal access to one's body.
In some cases restraints may be necessary to help maintain patient safety.
Certain medications
are called chemical restraints because they create a calm state and keep agitated
patients safe by calming down the nervous system. Sometimes these medications
are used as an alternate or adjunct to physical restraints to help maintain
patient safety. Emphasis should be placed on identifying the cause of unsafe
behaviors and addressing those causes first.
According to the Joint
Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare (JCAHO), there are several steps that can be
taken to avoid restraint use. Yet restraints may still be necessary at times
to protect the patient.
St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center takes the following steps to reduce the
use of restraints:
- thorough assessment and consideration of options other than restraints
- continuing education for employees on how to manage aggressive behavior and communicate with patients and families
- care planning to maximize patient interaction and observation
- staff training on safe restraint use