Partnering with individuals in ways that respect autonomy and integrate trauma-informed principles is critical to psychiatric-mental health nursing care.
Falls Church, VA (PRWEB) June 26, 2014
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) has released the newly revised APNA Position Paper on the Use of Seclusion and Restraint and the APNA Seclusion and Restraint Standards of Practice for psychiatric-mental health nurses. These two publications, which were updated by members of the APNA Institute for Safe Environments, are available to the public on the APNA website in order to encourage the widespread adoption of best practices and policies that support the reduction of the use of seclusion and restraint.
“Partnering with individuals in ways that respect autonomy and integrate trauma-informed principles is critical to psychiatric-mental health nursing care,” says APNA President Patricia Cunningham, DNSc, APRN, BC. “APNA’s newly revised position paper and standards of practice will help nurses as they focus on preventing the use of seclusion and and building therapeutic alliances.”
With emerging best practices and the rise of recovery-oriented and trauma informed care, the past fifteen years have seen tremendous efforts to reduce and eliminate the use of seclusion (involuntary confinement of a patient alone in an area) and restraint (a device or medication used to restrict a patient’s freedom of movement that is not part of treatment) as a method for managing potentially violent or self-destructive behavior. While the use of these emergency interventions is universally discouraged, highly regulated and carefully scrutinized, some events may still require their use. Elimination of the use of seclusion and restraint continues to be the end goal however, and psychiatric-mental health nurses are stakeholders in this effort.
“Originally released in 2000, APNA’s position paper and standards of practice on seclusion and restraint continue to be used as an important resource for nurses across all settings, and they have provided a solid foundation for legislation and institutional policies written to ensure that seclusion and restraint are used only when necessary and in the safest manner possible,” says Diane Allen, MN, RN-BC, NEA-BC, Chair of the Institute for Safe Environments. “It was therefore important for us to ensure that the position paper and standards of practice continued to reflect the most current literature and best practices out there.”
Members of the Institute for Safe Environments workgroup conducted a review of literature on risks associated with the use of seclusion and restraint, as well as key elements of assessment and evidence-based practices that have been found to help mitigate those risks. Based upon this review, as well as their collective experience working with acutely ill, involuntarily committed patients, the group submitted revisions which were approved by the APNA Board of Directors on April 8, 2014. In addition, continuing education to support the implementation of these updated standards of practice will be available soon in the APNA eLearning Center.
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association would like to thank the following members of the APNA Institute for Safe Environments for their work in updating and revising the two documents:
APNA Position Paper on the Use of Seclusion and Restraint: Catherine Batscha, DNP, RN; Catherine O’Reilly, RN; Diane Allen, MN, RN-BC, NEA-BC
APNA Seclusion and Restraint Standards of Practice: Justin Souther, RN-BC; Sandra Gary, BSN; Todd Lauster, RN; Gisela Catano-Mahoney, M.Ed RN-BC; Stephanie Bradley, MSN, RN-BC ; Diane Allen, MN, RN-BC, NEA-BC.
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is a national professional membership organization committed to the specialty practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing and wellness promotion, prevention of mental health problems and the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric disorders. APNA’s membership is inclusive of all psychiatric mental health registered nurses including associate degree, baccalaureate, advanced practice (comprised of clinical nurse specialists and psychiatric nurse practitioners), and nurse scientists and academicians (PhD). APNA serves as a resource for psychiatric mental health nurses to engage in networking, education, and the dissemination of research.