This article describes the use of rapid response teams to reduce the use of mechanical restraints (i.e., restricting a person's movement through the use of a mechanical device such as a backboard, net, or papoose) in an acute psychiatric care setting. Rapid response teams have proven highly effective for emergent medical patients, but have not typically been used in behavioral health care settings. Utilizing a rapid cycle process improvement approach, a response team was convened following each episode of mechanical restraint in an inpatient psychiatric treatment facility. Initial results, during a 6-week rapid cycle change process, showed that mechanical restraints were reduced by 36.4% when compared with a 6-week baseline and when compared with a 1-year baseline. Changes in hospital census during the implementation process did not appear to account for the reduction in restraints. Rapid response teams and rapid cycle process improvement are discussed as useful change vehicles for behavioral health care organizations.

Recent engineering industry-based research has identified a number of skill deficiencies in SKILL DEFICIENCIES OF ENGINEERING GRADUATESn this section of the paper we deal briefly with two issues. These are: what evidence is there to support the claim of skill deficiencies in graduating engineers and what are these skill deficiencies?

This research reports the procedures the writers have employed in teaching several academic and workplace communication skills through engineering multidisciplinary projects (EMDPs). In these projects students are divided into teams, with each team comprising a minimum of three and a maximum of four students from different engineering majors. The students choose and appoint a team leader, choose a research topic/problem in the surrounding environment that requires input from all team members and collaboration from all students, each in his/her respective discipline, in finding a solution to the situation/problem. Team members choose the topics, obtain approval of the topics from cooperating engineering faculty and the course instructor, and then prepare detailed research proposals. They receive specialist feedback on their proposals, and based on how detailed their proposals are, are given the go ahead to proceed with their research. The execution of the research project requires the use of several technical communication skills such as, internet searches; sending email messages; writing formal letters; meeting with officials, engineering academics and experts, as well as giving powerpoint supported oral presentations, EMDP poster presentations and submitting end of research written reports.

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