Taking charge. The role of nursing administrators in removing restraints.

The leadership and commitment of nursing administrators play a pivotal role in minimizing the use of restraints and maintaining a restraint-free environment. This article describes the role of nursing administrators in reducing the use of physical restraints as part of a 2-year, national nursing home restraint-reduction project. It reviews important information about restraint-free care the benefits of restraint-free care, and strategies to reduce the use of restraints in nursing homes, much of which is applicable to settings other than nursing homes.