ISSUES AND INNOVATIONS IN NURSING PRACTICE Use of physical restraints in rehabilitation settings: staff knowledge, attitudes and predictors Lorna K.P. Suen BN MPH PhD RN RM Associate Professor, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Nethersole School of Nursing, Shatin, Hong Kong C.K.Y. Lai PhD RN Associate Professor, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong T.K.S. Wong BEd MSc PhD RN Chair, Professor & Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong S.K.Y. Chow BN MPHC RN Lecturer, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong S.K.F. Kong BAappSc MPH RN RM Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong J.Y.L. Ho BSc MSc RN UKCC SRN Nursing Manager, MacLehose Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Pokfulam, Hong Kong T.K. Kong FRCP FHKAM FHKCP Consultant Geriatrician, Department of Medicine & Geriatric, Princess Margaret Hospital, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong J.S.C. Leung MSc RN Department Operations Manager, Department of Medicine & Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong I.Y.C. Wong BSc RPT Research Assistant, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong Accepted for publication 27 October 2005 Correspondence: Lorna Suen, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Nethersole School of Nursing, Shatin, Hong Kong. E-mail: lornasuen@cuhk.edu.hk doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03883.x SUEN L.K.P., LAI C.K.Y., WONG T.K.S., CHOW S.K.Y., KONG S.K.F., HO J.Y.L., SUEN L.K.P., LAI C.K.Y., WONG T.K.S., CHOW S.K.Y., KONG S.K.F., HO J.Y.L., KONG T.K., LEUNG J.S.C. & WONG I.Y.C. (2006) KONG T.K., LEUNG J.S.C. & WONG I.Y.C. (2006) Journal of Advanced Nursing 55(1), 20–28 Use of physical restraints in rehabilitation settings: staff knowledge, attitudes and predictors Aim. This paper reports a study examining the knowledge, attitudes and practices of staff with regard to the use of restraints in rehabilitative settings, and quantifying the direct and indirect effects of the factors that influenced these practices. Background. Nursing staff hold many misconceptions that support the continued use of physical restraints as a desirable technique in clinical settings to control clients. A number of previous studies measuring the knowledge, attitudes and/or practices of nursing staff towards the use of restraints have been conducted in acute, 20 Ó 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation Ó 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd