Quality of Care before, during, and after Casting: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Casting is the most common treatment for managing limb fractures. Casts that are not properly provided or are not correctly cared for may hinder the healing of fractures. However, no study assessed the quality of care before, during, and after casting. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the quality of nursing care before, during, and after casting. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 188 patients with limb fractures referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran, from July to November 2018. The data collection instrument consisted of 57 items on the quality of care before, during, and after casting. Descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 188 patients were assessed, 94 cases regarding the quality of care before and during casting and 94 additional cases for the quality of care after casting. The quality of care before, during, and after casting was at a moderate level in 83%, 58.5%, and 63.8% of patients, respectively. A significant connection was found between the quality of care before casting and the type of damage (P = 0.002). Significant connections were also found between the quality of care after casting and the nurses’ work shift (P = 0.05) and gender (P = 0.05). Conclusion: The quality of care before, during, and after casting was mostly at a moderate level. Educational interventions are needed for nurses to improve the quality of cast care.