4043-25: “Wow! How Did You Do It?” The Process of Removing Mechanical Restraints from Child and Adolescent Inpatient Care

This presentation will describe the multilayered approach to restraint reduction in a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital that resulted in removal of mechanical restraints completely from the children's unit and removal of the restraint chair from two adolescent units.

Presenters:  Lauren Sullivan, BSN, RN, PMH-BC; Ashley Oxley, BSN, RN, PMH-BC

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length:  45 minutes

Target Audience:  RN, APRN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Describe three interventions implemented hospital-wide and their relationship to the removal of mechanical restraints.

Key Takeaway(s): 

• Elimination of mechanical restraint use is achievable.

Keywords:  Restraint Reduction, Safety, Child and Adolescent

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
0.75 contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to the entire presentation, complete the reflection activity, evaluation, and honor statement before the expiration date. Once all steps are successfully completed, a certificate will be generated online and available for you to print immediately. Contact hours cannot be awarded unless all required components are completed. 

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Release Date:  December 19, 2025
Access to this course will end:  December 1, 2028

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