The Use of Patient Restraints

SMSI Staff Writer

06.01.02

The Winter 2001 edition of the Journal of Health care Risk Management carried an informative article entitled, "Law and Practice Hand in Hand: The Use of Seclusion and Restraint Interventions in the Health care Setting." Barbara A. M. Maloney, JD, FASHRM, and Vareen O. Domaleski, MS, RN, CNAA authored this article. This article is of interest from the perspective of hospital security because, in most hospitals where there is a security presence, the security officers are usually called upon to apply the restraints.This is especially true in emergency department settings. Security personnel are often expected to control aggressive behavior and apply four-point restraints.

When patient injuries occur the security officer-training program, as well as restraint policies will be placed under a microscope. For more information on this article visit www.ashrm.org.