The view and experience of the operating room's personnel on safety: A qualitative study

Abstract

Introduction: Provision of safe care is the ethical, professional, and legal duty of health care providers that is consistent with the patient rights. Due to its specialized environment, high risk, and at caring nature, operating room can pose a threat to the safety of patients and personnel. Thus, by getting the personnel's perspectives, one can make them sensitive towards the subject and expand nursing science by their experiences. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the concept of safety according to the view and experience of operating room's personnel. Design: The conventional qualitative content analysis method was used to examine the view and experience of operating room's personnel. Method: Nurses and operating room technologists in Isfahan teaching hospitals were selected from April 2017 to August 2018 using purposive sampling method (n = 20). Data was collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and by observation and field notes. Data was analyzed using Conventional Content Analysis (CCA), Graneheim and Lundman method, and Constant Comparison. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from the university ethics' committee. The participants were assured of the purpose of the study, the reasons for recording the interview, voluntary participation, and confidentiality of the information. Results: The codes obtained from the data were shown in 3 categories: misbehavior avoidance, creating a relaxing atmosphere, protection and prevention, and 9 subcategories. Discussion: The results emphasized the significance of provision of psychological safety along with physical safety. Any verbal or nonverbal misbehavior with the patient, his companions, and the surgical team should be focused on in the operating room. Nursing managers and personnel have to work together to develop a safety culture. Conclusion: The results of the study could improve the understanding of nursing personnel and managers by clarifying the concept of safety in the operating room. The results provided some evidence-based suggestions to nursing managers, so that by clever policymaking though creating a safe and desirable environment for patients, their families, and the surgical team could enhance hospital productivity. © 2019 Institute of Social Development and Policy Research, Seoul National University.