Identifying a Standard for Pin Site Care Using the Quality Assurance Approach

The lack of a standard for pin site care was identified as a patient care problem, at the University of Connecticut Health 'Center, John Dempsey Hospital. Using 'the quality assurance method of problem solving, the nursing staff, in conjunction with the director of surgical nursing and the clinical specialist in orthopaedics, devised a protocol for pin site care and an evaluation tool to monitor its effectiveness. Seven patients were included in the project, all of whom had at least one endogenous risk factor. The project resulted in a protocol acceptable to both nurses and physicians, an increased awareness in the importance of pin site care, an increase in doctor-nurse communication, and more specific documentation of pin site condition.