The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work
This thesis examines the use and implications of using coercive measures within a high security hospital. High security hospitals are unique environments where challenges are often faced in balancing care with safety and security. The use of coercive measures, namely, restraint, seclusion, rapid tra...
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| Format: | Thesis (University of Nottingham only) |
| Language: | English |
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2015
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29557/ |
| _version_ | 1848793810165825536 |
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| author | Hui, Ada M.L. |
| author_facet | Hui, Ada M.L. |
| author_sort | Hui, Ada M.L. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This thesis examines the use and implications of using coercive measures within a high security hospital. High security hospitals are unique environments where challenges are often faced in balancing care with safety and security. The use of coercive measures, namely, restraint, seclusion, rapid tranquillisation and segregation, are considered unavoidable necessities in preventing and/or limiting harm. Yet coercive measures are deemed ethically, morally and professionally controversial.
This study explores patient, staff and environmental factors that influence variations in attitudes and experiences towards the use of coercive measures using a sequential mixed methods design. Stage one examines the rates, frequencies and demographic characteristics of patients experiencing coercive measures. . Stage two uses standardised questionnaires to elicit and analyse staff and patient attitudes towards aggression (ATAS), containment measures (ACMQ) and hospital environment (EssenCES). Stage three uses a constructivist grounded theory approach to conducting semi-structured interviews with staff using institutional and emotional work theories.
Findings revealed that younger, newly admitted females were those most likely to experience coercion. Aggression was viewed as being significantly more destructive on the pre-discharge ward, in comparison with the admission, ICU and treatment ward. Discrepancies were found between staff and patient perceptions of the least acceptable containment measures. Patients experienced the hospital environment as more supportive and cohesive than staff. Finally, findings from the staff interviews uncovered a complex interplay between personal and institutional expectations, values and actions.
Further research is required into examining i) the attitudes and implications regarding the least restrictive methods, ii) the internal dynamics within high secure hospitals warrant and what it means for staff to be working in an environment where patients feel more supported by being contained than staff do when containing them, and iii) what can be done to relieve the tensions of healthcare professionals expected to care, coerce and contain. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:06:13Z |
| format | Thesis (University of Nottingham only) |
| id | nottingham-29557 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:06:13Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-295572025-02-28T11:36:10Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29557/ The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work Hui, Ada M.L. This thesis examines the use and implications of using coercive measures within a high security hospital. High security hospitals are unique environments where challenges are often faced in balancing care with safety and security. The use of coercive measures, namely, restraint, seclusion, rapid tranquillisation and segregation, are considered unavoidable necessities in preventing and/or limiting harm. Yet coercive measures are deemed ethically, morally and professionally controversial. This study explores patient, staff and environmental factors that influence variations in attitudes and experiences towards the use of coercive measures using a sequential mixed methods design. Stage one examines the rates, frequencies and demographic characteristics of patients experiencing coercive measures. . Stage two uses standardised questionnaires to elicit and analyse staff and patient attitudes towards aggression (ATAS), containment measures (ACMQ) and hospital environment (EssenCES). Stage three uses a constructivist grounded theory approach to conducting semi-structured interviews with staff using institutional and emotional work theories. Findings revealed that younger, newly admitted females were those most likely to experience coercion. Aggression was viewed as being significantly more destructive on the pre-discharge ward, in comparison with the admission, ICU and treatment ward. Discrepancies were found between staff and patient perceptions of the least acceptable containment measures. Patients experienced the hospital environment as more supportive and cohesive than staff. Finally, findings from the staff interviews uncovered a complex interplay between personal and institutional expectations, values and actions. Further research is required into examining i) the attitudes and implications regarding the least restrictive methods, ii) the internal dynamics within high secure hospitals warrant and what it means for staff to be working in an environment where patients feel more supported by being contained than staff do when containing them, and iii) what can be done to relieve the tensions of healthcare professionals expected to care, coerce and contain. 2015-07-14 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29557/1/Ada%20Hui%27s%20Thesis%20-%20July%202015.pdf Hui, Ada M.L. (2015) The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Forensic psychiatry sociology mental health coercive measures restraint seclusion rapid tranquillisation institutions organisations emotional work |
| spellingShingle | Forensic psychiatry sociology mental health coercive measures restraint seclusion rapid tranquillisation institutions organisations emotional work Hui, Ada M.L. The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work |
| title | The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work |
| title_full | The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work |
| title_fullStr | The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work |
| title_full_unstemmed | The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work |
| title_short | The use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work |
| title_sort | use of coercive measures in a high secure hospital: expressions of institutional and emotional work |
| topic | Forensic psychiatry sociology mental health coercive measures restraint seclusion rapid tranquillisation institutions organisations emotional work |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/29557/ |