Ethical Principles for Physical Restraint in Nursing Practice

Student name: Claudia Donaldson
Student number: 13084489
Subject code: NS2015
Assignment title: Assignment task 1: Case study- Ethics
Assignment due date: Tuesday, 3rd April
Campus: Townsville- James Cook University
Subject coordinator: Joanne Southern

Introduction
The code of ethics for nursing professionals in Australia is a guideline that helps to
provide a framework to the healthcare professionals to comply with the United Nations human
rights and social and cultural rights (Storch et al., 2013). In this assignment, relating with the
given case study, ethical principles for physical restraining the patients will be discussed. Further
alternative ways to eliminate the physical restrain from the process of patient control will be
discussed in this section.
Ethical principles
The ethical code of nursing practice is an important guideline for practice as it helps to
uphold the patient’s dignity, respect, and helps to promote the fundamental rights of them while
receiving care in the healthcare facility (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA),
2008). Further, in the fundamental rights, the right of nursing professionals is also taken care of.
According to the case study, while working in the emergency department of the hospital where
all the beds are occupied by critically ill patients, it is challenging to take equal care of each
patient. Further, a situation arises where while collecting sample from Mrs. Stock. Mr. Bogg
started yelling, creating chaos in the ED. RN moss and RN Pine and I were busy collecting
samples (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), 2008). Therefore, physical
restrain was the only option available to calm the patients. However, according to the code of
ethics nurses should value respect and kindness for their patients and others. Moreover,
according to the code of ethics, if any trait of a patient seems harmful for other patients staying
in the same ward, it is the responsibility of the nursing professionals to calm the patient.
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According to Cadore et al., (2014), using physical restrain for the benefit of the patient is
allowed if it helps to provide security to other patients staying at the same ward.
Nurses responsibilities
The situation presented in the case study was difficult to maintain as both the patients,
who had become vulnerable. Care was being administered since they were critically ill and
unable to remain stable on their own. Mrs. Stock had symptoms of urinary infection whereas Mr.
Bogg had head injury and intoxication. Therefore, they both required nursing assistance.
However, while taking sample of mid-stream urination of Mrs. Stock, RN pine, RN moss and I
moss were busy holding Mrs. Stock when Mr. Bogg started yelling due to intoxication and
needed intravenous sedation. According to nursing ethics, we should provide healthcare
treatment to patient in need. In situations like this, it was our duty to manage the situation
through information. This enables one to create a healthy and sustainable environment for patient
growth (Lachman, 2012). Hence, physical restrain of Mr. Bogg was important so that we can
collect sample from Mrs. Stock and start her medical treatment. However, we also maintained
the ethical value and respect of other patient present in the ED ward. If physical restrain was not
applied, Mr. Bogg could have harmed other patients too. We practiced kindness and were
committed to our duties towards Mrs. Stock and other patients according to the nursing ethics
value statement 2 (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), 2008). However, this
practice of physical restrain should have been replaced with other acts so that ethical code two,
stating valuing and respecting each patient can be followed.
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