This assignment challenges you to explore the evidence around restraints for challenging behaviours, be they physical or

psychological, and asks the question:

In caring for someone who is displaying challenging behaviour's are restraints (physical or chemical) acceptable? Drawing on
contemporary evidence provide recommendations for alternatives to restraint that ensure patient safety.
Consider the following:

• Patient and Staff safety

• Ethical considerations (biomedical principles of justice, autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence)
• Human and healthcare rights
• Australian healthcare standards, RN Standards for Practice, and local policies
• Australian Capital Territory law with regard to restraint.
• Mental health Act 2015 (ACT)

This should be presented in an essay format with a clear introduction and conclusion and at least 10 relevant and contemporary
references. The word limit is 1500 words +/- 10 %.

HD 8.5 -10 DI 7.5-8.5 CR 6.5-7.5 P 5-6.5 NX 0-4.5 Grade

Implications of Excellent Very good discussion Good discussion of Adequately addresses Shows a lack of /10
restraint (chemical discussion of of restraint, both restraint both, restraint but may lack detail understanding of
and physical) on restraint, both chemical and chemical and of types of restraint, restraint and misses
both patient safety chemical and physical, and the physical, and the mentions both staff and an element for
and staff safety, physical, and the impact on patient and impact on patient patient safety, shows an example does not
recognising different impact on staff safety, as well as and staff safety, as understanding of causes of mention chemical
causes of patient and staff the physical and well as the physical challenging behaviours but restraint.
challenging safety, as well as psychological causes and psychological discussion may be weak or Does not discuss
behaviour. the physical and of challenging causes of incomplete. safety of both the
psychological behaviour. challenging patient and staff.
causes of behaviour but may Minimal
 challenging lacks detail or understanding of
behaviour. depth. causes of challenging
behaviours.
Alternatives to Excellent Very good discussion Good discussion and Adequate discussion of some Does not adequately /10
restraints that relate discussion and and identification of identification of alternatives to restraints, discuss alternatives to
to/incorporate the identification of alternatives to alternatives, mentions RN standards but restraint / RN
RN standards and a range of restraint. however a full range does not link them well to standards and scope
scope of practice. alternatives that Rationale discussed of options not the discussion. of practice.
have sound for each and the issue discussed and/or
rationale, of safety addressed, rationale for use not
provide safe Linked well to the RN provided
care and adhere standards for Discusses the RN
to the RN practice. standards.
standards for
practice.

Legal and ethical Excellent Very good discussion Good discussion of Adequate discussion of legal Incomplete discussion /10
implications, policy discussion of of legal issues relating legal issues issues but may lack detail or of legal issues
and ACT law around legal issues to restraint, identifies Identifies relevant interpretation. Identifies showing little
restraint. comprehensively most policy and legal policy and law but some relevant policy and understanding or
discusses local frameworks in may lack depth of Law. poor knowledge of
policy and ACT relation to restraint. understanding. the legal and ethical
law in relation to implications of
the use of restraint.
restraint.

5 4 3 2.5 0-2
Formatting Excellent Very good Good presentation Adequate Not presented /5
guidelines adhered presentation as presentation according to presentation according to according to
to, has a clear per instructions, according to instructions: instructions: Many errors instructions and / or
introduction, body essay format instructions: few Minor errors with with grammar, syntax, substantial errors
and conclusion with clear errors with grammar, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling. with grammar,
correct grammar, introduction, syntax, punctuation, punctuation, and Adheres to the Word limit +/- syntax, punctuation,
spelling syntax. body and and spelling, Minor spelling limited 10% and spelling and/or
Adheres to the conclusion; editing and revision editing and revision word count not
Word limit. excellent required. Adheres to required Adheres to adhered to
standard of the Word limit +/- the Word limit +/-
academic 10% 10%
writing with
correct
grammar,
spelling and
syntax. Adheres
to the Word
limit +/- 10%

References, Excellent: Very good: Good: Satisfactory Unsatisfactory: /5

provides at least 10
relevant 10 or more 10 or more pieces of 10 or more pieces of 10 pieces of contemporary Poor referencing style
contemporary pieces of relevant and contemporary literature resourced and Multiple errors
references relevant and contemporary literature resourced used to support discussion. and/or unreferenced
APA 7th. contemporary literature resourced and used to support Quality of references may be claims, less than 10
literature and used to support discussion. questionable. Reference list contemporary
resourced and discussion. Reference Reference list provided as per APA 7th references or
used to support list provided as per provided as per APA referencing style, but
discussion. APA 7th referencing 7th referencing multiple errors in either inappropriate
Reference list style. style. intext references and/or references.
provided as per reference list.
APA 7th Minor errors in Some errors in
referencing referencing. referencing.
style.

No errors in
referencing and
no unreferenced
claims.