Professional practice 4 - Restraints

1. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 4
Student’s Name:
Vanessa Angel Florendo
Aileen May Macuroy
Dave Jay Manriquez
Instructor Name:
Pavan Kooner

2. ISSUE AFFECTING THE LPN’S PRACTICE
The Use of Medical Restraints in the Work Place.
LPN’s can apply restraints only when an order is in
place, according to CLPNBC Practice Standard Limits and
Conditions.
LPNs cannot administer restraints without an order from
a registered nurse, doctor, nurse practitioner or
psychiatric nurse.

3. TYPES OF RESTRAINTS
1. Chemical Restraint - is when a health care provider
uses antipsychotics, sedatives or when drugs are used
to reduce freedom.
2. Environmental Restraint - is when a patient is locked
inside the room or there is a change to a person's
surroundings to restrict or control movement.
3. Physical Restraint - is attached to a person’s body to
create physical barriers. Some examples are lap belts,
chairs and bedside rails.
(Alzheimer Society, 2007).

4. POSITIVE IMPACT OF RESTRAINTS ON LPN PRACTICE
The POSITIVE IMPACT of Medical Restraints are the following:
To protect the patients from harming themselves, harming other patients
and harming health care providers.
Promotes safety such as preventing patient from falling or sliding from their
chair.
Enables nurses, doctors and other health care professionals to perform
their duties of care in an emergency situation.
Used for closed monitoring; this can be done in a minimum period of time
in justifiable proportion to a patient’s behavior.
Prevent patients to interfere with medical treatments such as pulling out of
nasogastric tube, catheter and intravenous fluids.

5. NEGATIVE IMPACT OF RESTRAINTS ON LPN PRACTICE
The NEGATIVE IMPACT of Medical Restraints are the following:
May compromise the nurse-patient relationship.
Cause trauma to the patient, witnessing patients, family or even to
healthcare providers.
Misuse of restraints can cause bruises, cuts, abrasion, fractures, and
agitate the patient further or worse may cause death.
Many see it as a lost in dignity or shameful and they have feelings of
anxiety and isolation associated with it

6. USEFUL TOOLS FOR LPNS TO ADVOCATE IN UTILIZING
RESTRAINTS.
 Institutions need to have specific and detailed protocol
in restraint use.
 LPNs should be properly educated and trained about
the use of restraints.
 Proper documentation on reasons why the patient is
under restraint.
 Evaluate the condition of the patient at certain
intervals.

7. CONCLUSION:
 Restraint is a useful tool in nursing. It helps the patients
receive care during crisis.
 It promotes safety in both acute and long term facility.
 We highly recommend that LPN’s should BE ALLOWED
to administer restraints within 24 hours when needed.