Which item is NOT considered a restraint?

• A. A device to restrict to someone's voluntary movement
• B. A belt used to secure a patient to a bed during transport
• C. A medication used for sedation
• D. A strap to immobilize a limb under supervision

Answer: (C)

Restraints are methods or devices that physically restrict a person’s freedom of movement. In this framing, items that physically limit movement—such as a device that restricts voluntary movement, a belt used to secure a patient to a bed during transport, or a strap that immobilizes a limb under supervision—are restraints because they directly limit how the person can move.

A medication used for sedation, while it can influence behavior or movement, is not a physical device and is considered a pharmacologic intervention. In this context it is not classified as a restraint (although some policies do label certain medications used specifically to control behavior as chemical restraints; always follow your program’s definitions). The key idea is that the term restraint here refers to physical/mechanical restraints, not to medications used for treatment.