A cross-sectional study on nurses' attitudes towards physical restraints use in nursing homes in Portugal

S.A.D. Ferrao*, M.H.C. Bleijlevens, P.J. Nogueira, M.A.P. Henriques

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Aim To explore nurses' opinions regarding restraint measures and attitudes towards physical restraints use in nursing homes.Design Cross-sectional study.Methods Nursing staff of 33 Portuguese nursing homes was asked to complete the Portuguese version of the Maastricht Attitude Questionnaire (MAQ), an instrument on attitudes regarding physical restraints (reasons, consequences and appropriateness of restraint use) and opinions about restraint measures (restrictiveness and discomfort). Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were performed.Results Data from 186 nurses were included in the analysis. Overall, nurses expressed neutral to moderately positive attitudes towards physical restraints usage. Nurses with longer professional experience reported a more positive attitude regarding the appropriateness of restraint use in their clinical practice. Wrist and ankle restraints were the measures that nurses reported feeling most uncomfortable using, and the most restrictive. Bilateral bedrails were globally assessed as a slightly restrictive measure and nurses reported not feeling uncomfortable using them.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1571-1577
Number of pages7
JournalNursing open
Volume8
Issue number4
Early online date13 Jan 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • attitudes
  • care
  • definition
  • nurses
  • nursing homes
  • opinions
  • physical restraint
  • DEFINITION
  • CARE

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