Assessing safety hazards and occupational health in operating room nurses using Lean Six Sigma method

Abstract

Background: Occupational hazards threaten the safety and health of operating room (OR) nurses. In this regard, Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is one of the quality improvement methods that can be utilized to identify and work out a solution for occupational hazards. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study with a one-group pre-/post-test research design, (DMAIC) cycle was employed as the main framework for implementing the LSS. A total number of 45 OR nurses were thus selected via convenience sampling method. Data analysis was consequently performed using descriptive and analytical methods in the IBM SPSS Statistics software (version 22.0). Results: The results of data analysis revealed that the frequency of exposure to chemical hazards due to pouring formalin solution into the biopsy container had significantly reduced after preparation of the pathology room (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed in the frequency of exposure to chemical hazards because of exposure to other causes before and after the intervention (p > 0.05). Paired samples t-test had also shown that the mean number of exposures to irritating chemicals and total chemical hazards after the intervention was significantly lower than that before it (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The implementation of the LSS method in this study, at the lowest cost, without adding further personnel, with no extra equipment, and in the short term could mitigate occupational hazards that OR nurses face to. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.