Attitude of staff nurses towards the use of physical restraints on patients

The use of physical restraints has been a controversial, yet frequently used as nursing intervention for confused and hospitalized frail elderly and patients with severe mental disorders over the past two decades.1 The use of physical restraints is a very common practice in various clinical settings i.e. ICU, medical-surgical, psychiatric and pediatric units. Their use in hospital is often considered to be an accepted and perhaps unquestioned practice related to patient safety.2