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Ligature and/or Suicide Risk Reduction - Prohibited items on an Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

Are there specific items that should not be allowed to be brought on an inpatient psychiatric unit ?

Any examples are for illustrative purposes only.

No, The Joint Commission does not determine the items to be prohibited from an inpatient psychiatric unit. Items that are prohibited to be brought into organizations, due to the risk of harm to self or others, should be determined by the organization. Compliance of such safety measures is based upon organizational policies/procedures, individual care plans, and applicable state rules or regulations.

This FAQ was also published in the Perspectives® Newsletter, January 2018, Volume 39, Issue 1 - The Official Newsletter of The Joint Commission.

Additional Resource
Suicide Prevention Portal
Manual: Hospital and Hospital Clinics
Chapter: National Patient Safety Goals NPSG
Last reviewed by Standards Interpretation: February 01, 2022 Represents the most recent date that the FAQ was reviewed (e.g. annual review).
First published date: December 20, 2018 This Standards FAQ was first published on this date.
This page was last updated on February 01, 2022 with update notes of: Review only, FAQ is current Types of changes and an explanation of change type: Editorial changes only: Format changes only. No changes to content. | Review only, FAQ is current: Periodic review completed, no changes to content. | Reflects new or updated requirements: Changes represent new or revised requirements.
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