How Do Operating Room Nurse Students Experience the Learning Environment in the Operating Room?

Abstract

Please note this article was first published in Norwegian. You can read the Norwegian article here. Background: There is little research-based knowledge about how operating room nursing students experience the learning environment in an operating room. Results from international studies indicate that structural challenges such as time pressure, high demands for efficiency, and a minimum of time delegated to guidance are all characteristic of the learning environment. More insight into how operating room nursing students experience an operating room is an important element for improving the quality of practice studies in a high-tech and time-efficient environment. Aim: The purpose of the study is to describe operating room nursing students’ experiences of their learning environment in operating rooms. Method: The study has a qualitative and descriptive research design, utilizing systematic text condensation as an analytical method. Data was gathered through conducting focus-group interviews with operating room nursing students in their final semester of the nursing education study program. Results: Three main categories were brought up repeatedly by these students: 1) The significance of having supervisors, 2) The unclear responsibility with respect to formal and informal guidance in a multidisciplinary learning environment, and 3) The situation of learning in a complex and unpredictable learning environment. Conclusion: The results provide further insight into operating room nursing students’ experiences of their learning environment in authentic practice studies. The results can be utilized in further improving the learning environment for operating room nursing students.