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| Author | Clint Higgins |
| Abstract | The aim of this descriptive non-experimental study was to explore the nurses' management in the prevention of external fixation pin site infection. The study focused on external fixation pin site care, being the main nursing management in the prevention of pin site infection. Literature shows that even though nurses perform the same pin site care practices, the way this is done varies. In fact inconsistencies exist among nurses in the pin site care given. In addition nurses tend to base their pin site care practices on surgeon's/doctor's orders and experience rather than on research/literature. To reduce these inconsistencies, many researchers recommend pin site care protocols to be developed. Consequently this study also included these factors to be investigated. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires, which were administered to all local nurses working in orthopaedic wards at a state general hospital. Similar to finding of studies conducted abroad, results of this present study indicated that there seemed to be inconsistencies among nurses on the majority of the pin site care performed. Moreover, it was found that surgeon's/doctor's orders and experience were the most mentioned criteria on which nurses base their pin site care. It was also found that the majority of the nurses stated that there is not a pin site care protocol on the wards; however the majority of them stated that there is the need of one. This study has indicated the need to reach a consensus between nurses and surgeons to develop a pin site care protocol, more research on pin site care, and the need for continuing education by means of seminars and research literature on pin site care. |
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| Key words | Nurses, Prevention, Infection, Orthopaedics, Thesis |