PugRN

Restraints, contrary to popular opinion, don't do much in the way of preventing self-extubation. Interestingly enough, you are 3.5 to 5 times more likely to self-extubate in restraints than out of restraints - probably largely due to the huge spike in delirium these patients experience.

That's not entirely correct. There are four criteria for establishing whether or not a mitt is a restraint, and if the mitt meets any of them then it is a restraint: 1) If they are attached or pinned to something else, or used with other restraints. 2) Immobilize the hands or fingers. 3) Are so bulky they significantly reduce the patient's ability to use their hands. 4) they cannot be easily removed in the same manner they were applied by staff with consideration for the patient's condition. (The same condition that makes 4 side-rails a restraint under some conditions). Almost all of the mitts that I've seen in use at least meet that 4th requirement, and most meet that third feature as well.

I'm curious about what originally made you concerned about socializing with your coworkers? I'm ultimately quite concerned with the pervasive idea that nurses must give up all notion of autonomy simply because they are RNs. Socializing with your coworkers is an excellent potential source of satisfaction for you as a person. Socializing will help you develop relationships with people from many diverse backgrounds and career trajectories. You should of course modulate your behavior to a certain extent when you are socializing with people you will see frequently, but you'd have to do that sort of thing if you weren't a nurse anyway. There's nothing about being a licensed professional that should strip you of the rights that you'd have as any other citizen. Nurses go out dancing, nurses go to Vegas for long, crazy weekends, and by God, nurses like myself sometimes drink margaritas until we're silly (not in uniform, not the night before we have to be up at 0500 for work the next day, etc.). PLEASE, if you like your coworkers, go have fun with them!