Eje del compromiso institucional con la UNIBOL

The participants talked about the emotional responses that physical restraint could generate and how they dealt with such issues both during and after the restraint process.

4.2.4.1 Restraint and emotion

A semi-structured interview participant was very emphatic in stating that restraint should evoke an emotional response.

“Any restraint should always evoke an emotional response .... We are dealing with real people and the fact I’ve got to resort to either an emergency or a planned situation to putting hands on another human being, if that doesn’t concern me then I’m in the wrong job… …being actually able to recognise ‘I’m angry’and then being able then to walk away once the control is there… (Moses Ss1q6).

Moses’ response seemed to explain why both semi-structured interview participants said that they would pull out an assaulted staff from the restraint team.

4.2.4.2 An assaulted team member is removed

The semi-structured interview participants said that they would usually relieve any member of the restraint team who had been assaulted by the patient being restrained - a practice they believed that helped to prevent someone restraining in anger:

“…if someone has been assaulted and may be they are in the restraint team and they are angry, you can tell by their interactions with the patient that you remove that person from the

situation…” (Joy Ss1q4).

“Look and see if the member of staff who’s involved is somebody who’s actually been punched by the patient … to really pull them out you know. Swop them over with someone else” (Moses Ss2q4).

Sharing how he felt during a particular restraint process, Andy from focus group 4 said;

“When I saw the person stressed in that way, actually I was really concerned personally… …When you think about it, it feels as actually it might have been inhumane in itself… …later on we get communication from himand he said actually I feel much better now. You see that inhumane part of it actually it disappears…” (Andy Fg4q4).

4.2.4.3 Participating in the restraint of a primary patient

When asked how they felt about participating in the restraint of their primary patients, Peter from focus group one said:

“The view that we have is that what we are going to do is not something that is a punishment therefore I don’t want to be involved. No, it is a therapeutic intervention and therefore everyone agreed that at this point this patient needs it. And therefore just like giving an injection, primary nurse doesn’t say…” (Peter Fg1q12).

Steve from focus group 3 said that he felt quite comfortable after initially doubting the wisdom of participating in the restraint of his primary patient:

“Initially I kind of thought ‘hmm’ should I really? But then I did and I was quite comfortable with that and so was my patient” (Steve Fg3q9).

When asked whether their patients had complained about the psychological/emotional trauma as a result of restraint experiences; Zoe from focus group 4 responded very emphatically:

“That’s when the debriefing comes in. The experience is traumatic, yes. But once you debrief and reassure the patient then you know and then you try to engage them again. So, as I said before, you rebuild the therapeutic relationship” (Zoe Fg4q8).

Zoe’s response took the discussion straight on to debriefing after the physical restraint of a patient.

4.2.4.4 The importance of debriefing

All the participants acknowledged and emphasised the importance of debriefing even if brief due to lack of time. They debriefed themselves, the patients and necessary others they said.

“… It’s important afterwards to debrief them so that they know why they were being restrained. Explain to them why it got to the situation that they got to... because that explanation there might prevent it from happening again” (Evan Fg2q5).

“It is important to check that everybody is fine and calm. Some staff don’t bother with debriefing. But then shortage of staff makes it difficult…” (Florence Fg3q8).

Florence’s acknowledgement that shortage of staff could impact on debriefing after a restraint incident highlighted yet another negative effect that staff shortage could have on the

sustainability of the patient centred physical restraint in a mental health setting.

Continuing the discussion, Nicky from the same group answered affirmatively when asked whether they debriefed patients

“Always, when the situation has calmed down, staff sits with patient to examine the incident and to consider how it could have been prevented…” (Nicky Fg3q8).

The responses implied that there was an appropriate time for debriefing the patient.

4.2.4.5 Right time for debriefing

The semi-structured interview participants’ responses reiterated as well as emphasised the importance of debriefing the patient at the right time.

“... then once the patient calms down you get them ... I mean it is not always useful in the sense that sometimes it can actually escalate the situation again …you have to be careful when you actually debrief. …But perhaps the next day or even the day after, when you know you can talk to them about it…” (Joy Ss1q7).

“Aam so yes it can be done at the right time. And you know if you’ve got a therapeutic relationship with your patient then you know you can go on to them the next day or day after and sit down and talk about what happened with them… (Moses Ss2q7).

The responses implied that these participants viewed debriefing a patient after a restraint incident as an activity that required careful management and that should be carried out by someone with therapeutic relationship with the patient

4.2.5 THEME 5: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PATIENT CENTRED