title: Wound swabbing technique.
abstract: Many nurses perform clinical procedures that are based on ritual, without understanding the rationale behind them (Parker, 1999). Health policy in the UK emphasises the need for evidence-based care and requires practitioners to ensure that clinical practice is founded on scientifically-derived findings rather than intuition and ritual.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Mount Vemon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: MacLeod
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000451:nursing*