Date of Conferral

5-15-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Cara Kruelwitch

Abstract

Restraint and seclusion persist as considerable hazards to both patients and healthcare personnel in some mental health institutions. These interventions correlate with heightened trauma, injury, and extended duration of stay. The goal of the project was to instruct nurses and mental health technicians in verbal de-escalation strategies to diminish incidences of restraint and isolation as part of a practice reform initiative. Ten staff members engaged in pre- and post-training evaluations to assess knowledge, confidence, and readiness to apply de-escalation tactics. Data were examined using paired t tests. Results indicated statistically significant enhancements in staff knowledge, and confidence along with willingness to use de-escalation techniques, as evidenced by p values of <.001, respectively, accompanied by a 42% decrease in incidences of restraint and seclusion. These findings endorse the use of de-escalation training in employee onboarding and continuous professional development. The policy recommendation from the findings of this project was to increase awareness of verbal de-escalation by educating the staff during the onboarding process. Additionally, there should be clear protocols on how to handle escalation since de-escalation strategies promote trauma-informed care. Finally, staff should advocate leadership to maintain a restraint-free environment in the designated mental health facility. The execution of the staff education initiative aimed at diminishing the utilization of seclusion and restraint in psychiatric environments fosters positive societal transformation by enhancing safer, more compassionate mental health care methodologies. This effort promotes a transition from reactive, coercive measures to proactive, trauma-informed care, advantageous for both patients and healthcare practitioners (Maguire et al, 2019).

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