Waiting for surgery after orthopaedic trauma.

Nursing staff on a paediatric surgical ward were concerned about delays experienced by children waiting to go to theatre following orthopaedic trauma, and their families. A facilitated action research approach was used which involved describing the issue, gathering information from a range of sources and introducing changes to the process of care. A flowchart was developed to clarify the stages and the staff involved in admitting a child with orthopaedic trauma for surgery. A white board was introduced to record information on 'trauma' patients. A facilitated action research process offers a flexible and accessible way for staff to develop a range of transferable research and change management skills.