(a) Physical restraints shall only be used as a measure to protect the patient from injury to self or others.

(b) Treatment restraints shall only be used during medically prescribed treatment or diagnostic procedures.

(c) Physical and treatment restraints shall only be used upon a written or verbal order of a licensed health care practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure. Telephone orders shall be received only by authorized professional staff, shall be recorded immediately in the patient's health record and shall be signed by the ordering licensed health care practitioner within five days.

(d) Restraints shall not be used as punishment or as a substitute for more effective programming or for the convenience of the staff.

(e) Orders for physical restraints shall be in force for not longer than 24 hours.

(f) There shall be no PRN orders (as needed orders) for physical or treatment restraints.

(g) Patients shall be restrained only in an area that is under direct observation of staff and shall be afforded protection from other patients who may be in the area.

(h) A patient placed in physical restraints shall be checked at least every 15 minutes by professional staff to assure that the restraint remains properly applied. A written record shall be kept of these checks and maintained in the individual patient's health record.