Identifying a Practice Problem in Need of Improvement: excessive use of restraints and seclusion in mental health children and adolescents
Consider your current practice setting ( current practice setting is a mental and behavioral health facility for children and adolescents) and think about something specific and relevant to your practice setting that you would like to see improved or changed.
Identify a measurable patient-centered practice problem ( excessive use of restraints and seclusion) related to quality or safety and relevant to your practice setting and post a brief description of the problem and an explanation of why you selected it. Explain how the conversation you had with the key leader in your practice setting impacted your decision to address this particular practice problem. Be sure to support your practice problem with the literature that indicates the relevance of this problem for nursing practice.
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Introduction:
As a medical professor, it is essential to teach students about identifying and addressing practice problems related to quality and safety in healthcare settings. In this question, we will discuss a specific patient-centered practice problem related to the excessive use of restraints and seclusion in mental health children and adolescents. We will also examine the impact of the conversation with key leaders on the decision to address this particular practice problem.
Answer:
The specific practice problem identified in our mental and behavioral health facility for children and adolescents is the excessive use of restraints and seclusion. This problem impacts the quality of care and safety of patients, as it can cause physical and emotional harm to children and adolescents. The use of restraints and seclusion can also lead to a loss of trust between the patients and healthcare providers, which can have long-lasting effects on the mental health and well-being of patients.
In my conversation with key leaders in the facility, we discussed the data related to the use of restraints and seclusion in our facility and other facilities in the region. We found that our facility tends to use restraints and seclusion more often than other facilities in the region. We also discussed the impact of this practice on patient outcomes and the quality of care provided. This conversation reinforced the importance of addressing this practice problem and finding ways to reduce the use of restraints and seclusion in our facility.
The literature indicates that the excessive use of restraints and seclusion is a significant problem in mental health settings, particularly for children and adolescents. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that the use of restraints and seclusion in mental health settings was associated with increased risk of suicide attempts and self-harm in children and adolescents. Additionally, the study found that the use of restraints and seclusion was associated with reduced therapeutic engagement and decreased trust between patients and providers.
In conclusion, the excessive use of restraints and seclusion is a significant patient-centered practice problem in our mental and behavioral health facility for children and adolescents. The conversation with key leaders in the facility highlighted the importance of addressing this problem and finding ways to reduce the use of restraints and seclusion. The literature supports the relevance of this problem for nursing practice, as it can impact patient outcomes and the quality of care provided.