Knowledge, Attitudes And Practice Of Restraint And Seclusion Of Aggressive Psychiatric Inpatients As A Method Of Nursing At Mathari Hospital, Nairobi

Abstract

Introduction: The use of locked door seclusion rooms and! or physical restraint (use of belts/force to seclude a patient) is common in most psychiatric institutions. This practice continues to serve as an important treatment function in most psychiatric hospitals. For many centuries attempts have been made by the mental health professionals concerned to eliminate the practice or at least make their use less irrational, less punitive and more therapeutic. AIM: The aim of this paper was to establish the knowledge, attitudes and practice of nurses on the practice of this treatment modality. Methods: The study area was Mathari hospital, a referral and teaching hospital for both medical and nursing Students in Kenya. This was a descriptive study. The participants were both Enrolled and Registered nurses and data was collected through a questionnaire. The approximate duration of the study was 6 JIlonths. Data analysis was through a statistical package of social sciences (SPSS Version 12.0). Results: This study reported comprehensive information on nurses' knowledge, attitude and the practice of restraints and seclusion of aggressive in-patients. Conclusion: The study reported that nurses were equipped with knowledge, and had a positive attitude on the importance of application of various interventions during the practice of restraints and seclusion of the aggressive psychiatric in-patients. The study also established some relationships between knowledge, attitude and the practice of restraints and seclusion of the aggressive in-patients. Recommendations: Different methods of study and larger sample are recommended to develop a more comprehensive meaning of restraints and seclusion among nurses. Although majority of nurses agreed that clinical guidelines should be used during the practice of restraints and seclusion, an observation research is recommended to establish the use of such clinical guidelines during such practices.