In recent years, the attention to the patient's physical restraints is increasing, and the use of restraints is still controversial. More and more countries are advocating minimization of restraints, reducing the use of restraints on the premise of ensuring the safety of the patients, and implementing alternative methods to prevent restraints. Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) in 2012 formulated the clinical practice guidelines of Promoting Safety: Alternative Approaches to the Use of Restraints providing reference for clinical work. This guideline is more concerned with the perspective of the pre-restraints substitution method and the reduction of the restraint strategy. The alternative approaches to the use of restraints is less used in our country at present. The nursing staff are more unfamiliar with this concept. In order to help nurses understand and apply the guidelines in clinical practice, this article rearranged and interpreted the guideline.

Practice guideline; Physical restraints; Alternative approaches; Patient safety; Interpretation