Institutional policies on the use of physical restraints on children.

Within health care institutions, nursing policies often serve as the gold standard for nursing practice. Policies regarding the use of physical restraints on children are typically not based on any scientific evidence. This article analyzed multiple hospital policies and makes recommendations to better assess whether or not restraints are needed, suggests a list of least to most restrictive devices, identifies interventions for the child in restraints, and offers alternatives to the use of restraints.