Spanish mental health nurses' experiences of mechanical restraint: a qualitative descriptive study

Abstract

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Mechanical restraint is an intervention that causes harm to service users and nurses, yet continues to be used in many countries, including Spain. However, there is a lack of research exploring Spanish mental health nurses' experiences of using mechanical restraint. Aim: To describe the experiences of mental health nurses who have used mechanical restraint in practice. Methods: A qualitative descriptive methodology was used and a purposive sample of 10 Spanish mental health nurses were interviewed about their experiences of using mechanical restraint. Thematic analysis was then employed to analyse interview data. Results: Participants' experiences of using mechanical restraint were mostly negative. Three main themes arose from the analysis of interview transcripts, (i) symmetrical trauma, (ii) moral injury and (iii) broken trust. Discussion: The use of restrictive practices, which can be perceived as counter-therapeutic, exposes nurses to risks such as moral injury and service users to broken trust in the therapeutic nurse patient relationship. Avoiding empathy in order to use mechanical restraint is counterproductive, in the understanding that empathy is key to reducing this intervention. Implications for practice: Reducing or eliminating use of mechanical restraints should be a policy and practice priority due to the symmetrical harms it causes both nurses and service users. The trust aspect of the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is a significant casualty when mechanical restraint is used, therefore involving service users in co-production of post-mechanical restraint debriefing can be an avenue for restoring this trust through dialogue.