Impact of an educational program on nurses’ performance toward children in Thomas traction

SummaryThomas splint traction is a very stressful situation for children to endure and it requires a competent nurse to meet the children’s needs and to prevent complications. The aim of this study is firstly to ‘assess the nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding children in Thomas traction, and secondly to determine the impact of an educational program on nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding the care of children in Thomas splint traction. Two tools were used to collect the necessary data: a structured interview questionnaire sheet and a structured observational checklist for the nurses. The results of the study showed that nurses’ ‘performance’ score was poor before the program was implemented and significantly improved after the program. It is recommended that (1) nurses should attend formal training programs about traction, (2) a standard of care toward traction should be developed and (3) clinical protocol and traction guidelines should be designed to be present and inform each paediatric orthopaedic unit.