Nurses and Violence - Restrictive practices

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is committed to ensuring older people are provided safe, person-centred and high-quality care, where restrictive practices are used only as a last resort. A restrictive practice should be used in the least restrictive form, only to the extent it is necessary and in proportion to the risk of harm to the care recipient or other persons. As far as possible, best practice alternative strategies should be used before a restrictive practice is introduced. ACN believes restrictive practices are an imposition on an individual's rights and dignity and, in some cases, may subject the person to an increased risk of physical and/or psychological harm. While taking a person-centred approach to care, aged care providers must have a clinical governance framework in place to minimise the use of restrictive practices.