Nurses are bound by the Nursing and Midwifery Council code of conduct (2008) to deliver care based on the best available evidence, which involves a combination of clinical expertise and incorporating research into practice (Thompson et al 2004). This article critically evaluates the evidence base of methods available to reduce radial head subluxation in children. The author is a senior staff nurse at an inner-city paediatric emergency department in which about 30,000 children are treated each year.