Contextual influences on nurses’ decision-making in cases of physical restraint

Background:In order to fully understand nurses’ ethical decision-making in cases of physical restraint in acute older people care, contextual influences on the process of decision-making should be clarified.Research questions:What is the influence of context on nurses’ decision-making process in cases of physical restraint, and what is the impact of context on the prioritizing of ethical values when making a decision on physical restraint?Research design:A qualitative descriptive study inspired by the Grounded Theory approach was carried out.Participants and research context:In total, 21 in-depth interviews were carried out with nurses working on acute geriatric wards in Flanders, Belgium.Ethical considerations:The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Leuven.Findings:Relationships with nursing colleagues and the patient’s family form an inter-personal network. Nurses also point to the importance of the procedural–legal context as expressed in an institutional ...