Emergency Plaster Splinting and Fracture Management

This full day workshop is suitable for Medical Officers, Nurses, Paramedics and Students wishing to be competent in the application of plaster splinting and casting for upper and lower limb injuries.

Plaster Casting/Splinting is central to much of acute fracture management. In this workshop we explore how to apply plaster splints and casts to manage a wide range of upper and lower limb orthopaedic injuries. A major focus will be practising plaster technique in order to apply a splint that minmises the risk of discomfort to the patient (eg from local irritation or unnecessary restriction of movement distal and proximal to the injury), plaster failure due to poor technique and complications due to local pressure areas (beneath the plaster) and compartment syndrome. 

The workshop will consider the importance of selecting the correct splint for the injury. There are, for example a variety of splints that can be used for the wrist or hand injury including the dorsal backslab, volar splint, the ulna gutter and the thumb spica. The workshop will cover the knowledge required to select the most appropriate splint for a particular injury and consider discharge advice and follow up for the patient.

Splints that will be taught and practised in the workshop include:

• Dorsal Backslab (upper limb)
• Volar splint
• Ulna Gutter splint
• Thumb spica
• Scaphoid Splint
• Dorsal backslab (lower limb)

A range of other splints and casts may be discussed/demonstrated depending on the experience of the group.

Credentialling for Advanced Nursing Practice

The program meets the SA Health training requirement for nurses wishing to become credentialled in advanced practice nursing practice. Upon completion of the workshop training, the nurse is required to undertake 5 "observed" plaster splints on patients with acute limb injury and have these verified by a clinician skilled in splinting.