Is physical restraint unethical and illegal?: a qualitative analysis of Korean written judgments

BMC Nursing

Table 1 Criteria for ethical dilemma situation assessment grounded in the four ethical principles

Ethical principles	Criteria			Ethical dilemma situations
Ethical principles	Definition /Meaning	Compliance	Violation	1 Can PR be used without consent for safety?	2 Is it possible to use PR due to staff shortage? (Without consent)	3 Is it possible to use PR due to staff shortage? (With consent)
Beneficence	Was the decision to use or not to use PR the best choice for the recipient?	The court determined that the judgment of the health worker regarding the use of PR was not illegal or negligent.	The court decided the judgment of the health worker regarding the use of PR as illegal or negligent.	C	-	-
Autonomy	Were the recipients or their guardians informed about the use of PR and did they write the consent?	PR was applied after obtaining prior consent.	PR was used without prior consent.	V	V	C
Justice	Was the allocation of medical resources fair in relation to PR?	No relevant cases available.	PR was not used due to a lack of resources like staff and materials.	-	V	V
Non-maleficence	Did any harm occur to the recipients due to the use or non-use of PR?	The judgment of the health worker regarding the use of PR did not result in any adverse outcomes for the recipient.	The judgment of the health worker regarding the use of PR resulted in adverse outcomes for the recipients.	-	-	-

Note: PR = Physical restraint; C = compliance; V = violation; Violations of the ‘principle of justice’ were recognized only if the written judgments specified the content of lack of medical resources (e.g., staff shortage)

ISSN: 1472-6955