2021 Volume 26 Issue 1 Pages 105-113
This study assessed opportunities and reasons for nursing professionals’ judgment of when to begin physically restraining elderly patients in general beds at small and medium-sized hospitals. Anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey forms were received from 55 nurses working at three small and medium-sized hospitals. Data were analyzed qualitatively and descriptively.
All 43 respondents had applied physical restraint for elderly people. We extracted the following as opportunities for them to initiate physical restraint: [Symptoms or behaviors were inferred as leading to the incident.] [No expectation of safe behavior change.] [Too few personnel to accommodate elderly people.]. Furthermore, as reasons for judgment, the following were identified: [Incident occurrence was predicted.] [Risks to treatment and life support were predicted.] [Considerations of safety management were necessary for the entire ward.].
Results suggest the necessity for reviewing holistic understanding and assessment of elderly people, building nurse awareness of ethical issues related to daily care of elderly people, with building of mutually supportive systems for the environment and education.
