Management of Care Q 23
The nurse is assigned to care for the client with a Steinmann pin. During pin care, she notes that the LPN uses sterile gloves and Q-tips to clean the pin. Which action should the nurse take at this time?
A. Assisting the LPN with opening sterile packages and peroxide.
B. Telling the LPN that clean gloves are allowed.
C. Telling the LPN that the registered nurse should perform pin care.
D. Asking the LPN to clean the weights and pulleys with peroxide.
Correct Answer: A. Assisting the LPN with opening sterile packages and peroxide
The nurse is performing the pin care correctly when she uses sterile gloves and Q-tips. All pins and wire sites must be cleaned daily. Basic pin care will be performed once daily by the hospital nursing staff prior to discharge from the hospital. Following discharge, the patient and family will go to the clinic for pin care teaching and instructions.
Option B: During pin care, the sterile technique is utilized and sterile gloves are needed. The approach to pin care should occur in a stepwise fashion. If step one is effective there is no need to go further and pins can be wrapped with gauze. If step one is not effective, please continue until effective pin care has been achieved.
Option C: A licensed practical nurse can perform pin care. Pin care is recommended during showers, after pool therapy, or swimming in the pool or ocean (ocean saltwater is good for pin sites). Ideally, pin sites are cleaned when the surrounding skin and gauze are soft. This should make removal of gauze and cleaning of pins less painful.
Option D: There is no need to clean the weights. The purpose of the cleaning is to prevent the skin from attaching to the pins and wires and to clean and inspect the area to decrease the chance of infection.