Nursing Interventions during Seclusion and Mechanical Restraint: A Video-Observation Study in Inpatient Psychiatric Care

Purpose. To understand nursing practice in seclusion and mechanical restraint events in psychiatric inpatient care. Design and Methods. Non-participant video observation was used to collect data from seclusion and mechanical restraint events. Nursing interventions were analysed using deductive content analysis. Findings. Video recordings (n = 36) showed that nurses were present for 4.1% of the duration of seclusion and mechanical restraint events. The nursing interventions focused on meeting patients’ basic needs, maintaining safety, and interaction. Practice Implications. Nursing must be founded on a thorough assessment of patients’ physical and psychosocial needs and meeting those needs with appropriate nursing interventions.