Are Nurses More Likely to Become Injured Because of Increased Patient-to-Nurse Ratios?
Yes, this outcome is possible if nurses deal with short staffing by being overly directive. Keep in mind that contrary to what many individuals believe, decreasing the rate and duration of seclusion and mechanical restraint use in psychiatric hospitals does not lead to more staff injury; in fact, it may actually reduce staff injuries.[12] When the use of seclusion and restraint is high, injuries tend to be high because the act of applying restraints is itself physically dangerous to staff members and because the coercive nature of the measure tends to elicit a more aggressive response. The practice of restraining patients puts both patients and staff at risk of injury. Restraint and seclusion can be violent, stressful, and humiliating events, both for patients and the staff members imposing these measures.[13] The use of restraint and seclusion can also traumatize patients and staff members, damage therapeutic relationships, and impede patient recovery.[13] Furthermore, staff member di
