• Hui Jiang, Chen Li, Yan Gu, and Yanan He.
• Tongji University School of Medicine, China jianghuitest@163.com.
• Nurs Ethics. 2015 Sep 1; 22 (6): 652-60.

BackgroundThere is controversy concerning the use of physical restraint. Despite this controversy, some nurses still consider the application of physical restraint unavoidable for some of their clients.AimIdentify the perceptions and practice of physical restraint in China.Research DesignThis was a descriptive study that combined qualitative interviews with a quantitative cross-sectional survey.ParticipantsA total of 18 nurses were interviewed and 330 nurses were surveyed.Ethical ConsiderationsApproval of the study was obtained from the hospital ethics committee. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the director of nursing. Participants were assured that their participation is voluntary.ResultsPhysical restraint was commonly used to protect patients' safety. Naturally, intensive care unit nurses used physical restraint much more frequently than general medical/surgical ward nurses (p < 0.01). In addition, night shift nurses tended to use physical restraint more frequently.ConclusionNursing managers should be aware of the role nurses play in the use of physical restraint. In-service training regarding the proper use of physical restraint should be strengthened and nurse staffing levels should be improved in order to minimize the use of physical restraint in China.© The Author(s) 2014.

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