They limit the ability of the registered nurse in clinical decision making. The restraint standards as currently written are confusing in regard to time limits and application in various settings of care delivery. There is a tremendous lack of consistency in surveyor's assessments regarding restraint and seclusion standards. It is our belief that the current restraint standards are indeed too restrictive and specific and limit the ability of the registered nurse in clinical decision making. The current standards are burdensome and labor intensive without justification.
Patient safety is the priority of the registered nurse and other members of the health care team.
The nurse at the bedside or other sites of care are committed to patient safety and ensuring patient rights. We believe that there is immense confusion about the time limits and to which restraint standards they apply. This is not true because sundowner's syndrome can be an on-going condition for elderly patients in acute care. Consistency Among and Between Surveyors Based on feedback from AONE members, we believe there is a tremendous amount of inconsistency among and between surveyors. For instance, one member shared this example with us for two hospitals she has responsibility for.