scholarly journals Surgical incidents and their impact on operating theatre staff: qualitative study

BJS Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
N Serou ◽  
S P Slight ◽  
A K Husband ◽  
S P Forrest ◽  
R D Slight

Abstract Background Surgical incidents can have significant effects on both patients and health professionals, including emotional distress and depression. The aim of this study was to explore the personal and professional impacts of surgical incidents on operating theatre staff. Methods Face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with a range of different healthcare professionals working in operating theatres, including surgeons and anaesthetists, operating department practitioners, and theatre nurses, and across different surgical specialties at five different hospitals. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using an inductive thematic approach, which involved reading and re-reading the transcripts, assigning preliminary codes, and searching for patterns and themes within the codes, with the aid of NVivo 12 software. These emerging themes were discussed with the wider research team to gain their input. Results Some 45 interviews were conducted, generally lasting between 30 and 75 min. Three overarching themes emerged: personal and professional impact; impact of the investigation process; and positive consequences or impact. Participants recalled experiencing negative emotions following surgical incidents that depended on the severity of the incident, patient outcomes, and the support that staff received. A culture of blame, inadequate support, and lack of a clear and transparent investigative process appeared to worsen impact. Conclusion The study indicated that more support is needed for operating theatre staff involved in surgical incidents. Greater transparency and better information during the investigation of such incidents for staff are still needed.

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 188-193
Author(s):  
Liam Wilson ◽  
Omer Farooq

Operating theatres are dynamic environments that require multi professional team interactions. Effective team working is essential for efficient delivery of safe patient care. A fire in the operating theatre is a rare but potentially life threatening event for both patients and staff. A rapid and cohesive response from theatre and allied staff including porters, fire safety officer etc is paramount. We delivered a training session that utilised in situ simulation (simulation in workplace). After conducting needs analysis, learning objectives were agreed. After thorough planning, the date and location of the training session were identified. Contingency plans were put in place to ensure that patient care was not compromised at any point. To ensure success, checklists for faculty were devised and adhered to. A medium fidelity manikin with live monitoring was used. The first part of the scenario involved management of a surgical emergency by theatre staff. The second part involved management of a fire in the operating theatre while an emergency procedure was being undertaken. To achieve maximum learning potential, debriefing was provided immediately after each part of the scenario. A fire safety officer was present as a content expert. Latent errors (hidden errors in the workplace, staff knowledge etc) were identified. Malfunctioning of theatre floor windows and staff unawareness about the location of an evacuation site were some of the identified latent errors. Thorough feedback to address these issues was provided to the participants on the day. A detailed report of the training session was given to the relevant departments. This resulted in the equipment faults being rectified. The training session was a very positive experience and helped not only in improving participants’ knowledge, behaviour and confidence but also it made system and environment better equipped.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anneke Fitzgerald ◽  
Yong Wu

Objective This paper describes the perceptions of operating theatre staff in Australia and The Netherlands regarding the influence of logistical or operational reasons that may affect the scheduling of unplanned surgical cases. It is proposed that logistical or operational issues can influence the priority determination of queue position of surgical cases on the emergency waiting list. Methods A questionnaire was developed and conducted in 15 hospitals across The Netherlands and Australia, targeting anaesthetists, managers, nurses and surgeons. Statistical analyses revolved around these four professional groups. Six hypotheses were then developed and tested based on the responses collected from the participants. Results There were significant differences in perceptions of logistics delay factors across different professional groups when patients were waiting for unplanned surgery. There were also significant differences among different groups when setting logistical priority factors for planning and scheduling unplanned cases. The hypotheses tests confirm these differences, and the findings concur with the paradigmatic differences mentioned in the literature. These paradigmatic differences among the four professional groups may explain some of the tensions encountered when making decisions about scheduling emergency surgical queues, and therefore should be taken into consideration for management of operating theatres. Conclusions Queue positions of patients waiting for unplanned surgery, or emergency surgery, are determined by medical clinicians according to clinicians’ indication of clinical priority. However, operating theatre managers are important in facilitating smooth operations when planning for emergency surgeries. It is necessary for surgeons to understand the logistical challenges faced by managers when requesting logistical priorities for their operations. What is known about the topic? Tensions exist about the efficient use of operating theatres and negotiating individual surgeon’s demands, especially between surgeons and managers, because in many countries surgeons only work in the hospital and not for the hospital. What does this paper add? The present study examined the logistical effects on functionality and purports the notion that, while recognising the importance of clinical precedence, logistical factors influence queue order to ensure efficient use of operating theatre resources. What are the implications for practitioners? The results indicate that there are differences in the perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding the sequencing of emergency patients. These differences may lead to conflicts in the decision making process about triaging emergency or unplanned surgical cases. A clear understanding of the different perceptions of different functional groups may help address the conflicts that often arise in practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
L E Murchison ◽  
R Anbarasan ◽  
A Mathur ◽  
M Kulkarni

Abstract Introduction In the already high-risk, high-stress environment of the operating theatre, operating during Covid-19 has brought its own unique challenges. Communication, teamwork and anxiety related new operating practices secondary to Covid-19 are hypothesised to have a negative impact on patient care. Method We conducted a single-centre online survey of operating theatre staff from 22nd June–6th July 2020. Respondents completed 18 human factors questions related to COVID-19 precautions including communication, teamwork, situational awareness, decision making, stress, fatigue, work environment and organisational culture. Questions consisted of yes/no responses, multiple choice and Likert items. Kruskall-Wallis tests, Chi-Squared, Mann Whitney U tests, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, lambda and Cramer’s V tests were used. Free-text responses were also reviewed. Results 116 theatre staff responded. Visual (90.5%), hearing/ understanding (96.6%) difficulties, feeling faint/lightheaded (66.4%) and stress (47.8%) were reported. Decreased situational awareness was reported by 71.5% and correlated with visors (r = 0.27 and p = 0.03) and FFP2/3 mask usage (r = 0.29 and p = 0.01). Reduced efficiency of theatre teams was reported by 75% of respondents and 21.5% felt patient safety was at greater risk due to Covid-19 precautions in theatre. Conclusions Organisational adjustments are required, and research focused on development of fit-for-purpose personal protective equipment (PPE).


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Burns ◽  
Carolyn Baylor ◽  
Brian J. Dudgeon ◽  
Helene Starks ◽  
Kathryn Yorkston

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of patients with aphasia, their family members, and physicians related to communication during medical interactions.MethodFace-to-face, semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 participants—6 patients with aphasia, 6 family members involved in patient care, and 6 practicing physicians. A qualitative description approach was used to collect and summarize narratives from participants' perspectives and experiences. Participants were asked about experiences with communication during medical interactions in which the family member accompanied the patient. Interviews were audio- and/or video-recorded, transcribed, and then coded to identify main themes.ResultsPatients and family members generally described their communication experiences as positive, yet all participants discussed challenges and frustrations. Three themes emerged: (a) patients and family members work as a team, (b) patients and family members want physicians to “just try” to communicate with the patient, and (c) physicians want to interact with patients but may not know how.ConclusionsParticipants discussed the need for successful accommodation, or changing how one communicates, to help facilitate the patients' increased understanding and ability to express themselves. Over- and underaccommodation with communication were commonly reported as problems. Speech-language pathologists have a role to play in helping to improve communication during medical interactions. Implications for current speech-language pathologist practice and future directions of research are discussed.


1903 ◽  
Vol 3 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 437-454
Author(s):  
M. I. Ladygin

The Sterlitamak Zemsky Hospital has 34 beds and in the year under review it had four rooms: an infectious disease room, one for women, and two for men, the smaller of which was intended for clean operated patients, while the other was for purulent and therapeutic patients (the rooms were painted with oil paint); women after the surgeries were transferred to the general ward. The two operating theatres were clean and pusy; they were adjacent, painted with oil paint; in the case of pus, the two operating theatres were carefully fumigated with formalin, followed by soap washout and Sulema 1 : 1000. The rooms and the operating theatre were ventilated in the windows.


1997 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-290
Author(s):  
P. C. A. Kam ◽  
J. F. Thompson

2008 ◽  
Vol 90 (9) ◽  
pp. 306-307
Author(s):  
K Woo

Surgeons, anaesthetists and theatre staff have always worked to ensure that no harm comes to their patients, particularly within the operating theatre environment. Patient safety and the prevention of adverse events underlie many of our traditional practices such as the use of identity bracelets, consent forms and marking of the operative site. Perhaps even more so today than ever, unnecessary or avoidable mistakes in the operating theatre cannot be afforded, with the current climate of increasing standards of health care and rising expectations.


Author(s):  
Martin Mumuni Danaah Malick ◽  
Edem Yao Akpa ◽  
Peter Paul Bamaalabong

Background: Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) place a significant economic burden on the healthcare system. Infection control practices are important in minimizing healthcare associated infections. However, low compliance with Universal and Standard Precautions has been reported in a number of studies. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed baseline definitions for HAIs that were republished in 2004 and has defined HAIs as those that develop during hospitalization but are neither present nor incubating upon the patient’s admission to the hospital; generally, these infections occur between 48 to 72 hours after admission and within 10 days after hospital discharge. this study aimed at unveiling the level of knowledge, attitude and practices on infection prevention control in the operating theatres by anaesthesia practitioners at TTH. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed. A mixed-method approach was used for data collection which includes a structured questionnaire carried out via face to face interview and observation. Results: The study showed that 100% of the respondents have knowledge on hospital acquired infection control in the theatre in one way or the other whereas attitude and practices toward hospital infection control in the operating theatres are undesirable in some specific areas of infection control such as wearing of sterile gowns and goggle. As high as 80.6% and 69.4% do not wear goggle and gowns respectively whilst performing regional anaesthesia.  Conclusions:  This study demonstrated that anaesthetists at TTH have reported sub-optimal levels of compliance i.e. attitude and practices with selective infection control. The study further demonstrated that discrepancies exist between anaesthetists’ attitudes towards a guideline as well as their actual practice.


Author(s):  
Zarata Banks ◽  
Jessica Bailey

Despite vast research on newly licensed registered nurses (RNs), we don't know why some newly licensed registered nurses remain in their current jobs and others leave the nursing profession early in their career. Job satisfaction, the most significant factor emerging from the literature, plays a significant role in nurses' decisions to remain in their current jobs. This study examined the lived experiences of newly licensed registered nurses early in their careers. The researcher interviewed 14 newly licensed registered nurses to ask why they chose nursing as a profession and to determine factors that would influence their choice to stay in nursing as a career. Data were collected from newly licensed registered nurses through in-depth, face-to-face interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide developed by the researcher. Data analysis identified the emerging themes of altruism, self-fulfillment, challenging career, and the influence of role models as determining factors for nurses staying in the field. Findings suggest that those in positions of healthcare management should consider how they can create a workplace environment that provides newly licensed registered nurses the opportunity to fulfill these employment expectations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 671-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munira Abdulwasi ◽  
Meena Bhardwaj ◽  
Yuka Nakamura ◽  
Maha Zawi ◽  
Jennifer Price ◽  
...  

Background: This descriptive qualitative study informed by an ecological framework explored factors influencing South Asian Muslim women’s decisions to participate in a mosque-based physical activity intervention.Methods: Individual, face-to-face, semistructured interviews were conducted in English, Hindi, or Urdu with 12 South Asian Muslim women at their home or mosque in Ontario, Canada. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and managed, sorted, and analyzed for themes through a process of descriptive analysis.Results: The participants described as follows: (1) intrapersonal facilitators, which included their feelings, beliefs, and motivations to continue with this intervention; (2) interpersonal facilitators detailing the support that they had received from others during the intervention; and (3) environmental facilitators, which highlighted convenience and access to physical activity opportunities in a local community setting.Conclusion: This intervention displayed how South Asian Muslim women were motivated to continue with the mosque-based physical activity intervention due to interpersonal, intrapersonal, and environmental facilitators. The findings can be used to increase further understanding of how mosques may provide culturally and religiously sensitive contexts for physical activity interventions for South Asian Muslim women.


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