Purpose: This study aims to reduce the incidents of restraints by applying a nontraditional consultation process in which a university-based team focused on patient consultations to collect data on treatment interventions and milieu approaches and conditions, as well as staff interactions.
Conclusions: The efforts resulted in restraint reduction from 36 episodes per month to 0 episodes per month as well as precipitating a change in unit climate and care approaches on a specialized unit for patients with developmental disabilities and mental illness.
Practice implications: Reducing the use of restraints involving multiple restraint incident patients is possible with a team-based approach and a specific intervention plan.