Restraint versus Restraints: defining the concepts for review and measurement

Abstract

There are considerable differences between the USA and the UK in terms of the practice of in‐patient care, particularly in the use of restraint. The American legal system defines restraint in terms of physical, mechanical, and chemical restraints, of which only physical and chemical restraints are routinely used in the UK. There is a need to agree a standard definition of restraint as it is used in the UK, which may be valuable as one proxy for quality. Such information would enable nurses to make appropriate use of the published literature, make valid comparisons within and between institutions, and provide evidence about the kind of nursing education and nursing practice development needed to produce quality patient care.

Citation

Macilwaine, H., Watson, C. and McKenzie, I. (1999), "Restraint versus Restraints: defining the concepts for review and measurement", The British Journal of Forensic Practice, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 27-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636646199900023