Knot-So-Fast: a learning plan to minimize patient restraint in critical care.

In 2001, new legislation in Ontario, the Patient Restraint Minimization Act, mandated that all hospitals develop a policy to minimize the use of restraints. Since restraining patients was a common practice in our intensive care unit (ICU), a practice change was necessary. To do this, a learning plan was created to share key information pertaining to the Act that would support humane and dignified care for our critically ill patients.

Can minimal patient restraint be safely implemented in the intensive care unit?

The introduction of a corporate policy on the minimal use of restraints created concern within our intensive care unit. It was thought that corporate leaders did not understand the necessity of patient restraints within critical care. In an effort to make a stand against the developing policy, a group of critical care nurses reviewed the literature for evidence to support the use of restraints\with this patient population.