Operating room nurses' lived experiences of occupational hazards: A phenomenological study

Abstract

BackgroundOperating room nurses (ORNs) face various occupational hazards. The assessment of the hazards in the operating room (OR) is considered as essential due to the costs imposed by nurses' illness and disability on the society, and their importance and specialized skill. MethodsThis qualitative analytic phenomenological study was conducted during 18 months. In this regard, a total of 10 ORNs who worked in the teaching hospitals affiliated to Hamadan University of Medical Sciences were selected by utilizing purposive sampling method. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed by using Van Manen six-step method. ResultsThe three main themes of reduced psycho-organizational resilience, chemical and biological hazards, and physical-environmental stressors were identified, the first of which included the sub-themes of burnout, inefficient management practice, and poor teamwork. Additionally, the second theme consisted of exposure to infectious agents and toxic fumes from chemicals, while the third was composed of neglecting the principles of ergonomics, as well as an unsafe working environment, patient care attitude, and poor attitude to safety. ConclusionThe rate of OR hazards was high among ORNs in Hamadan. The results of the present study can improve the understanding of ORNs and managers by clarifying the concept of hazards in the OR. Finally, they provided some evidence-based suggestions to nursing manager so that hospital productivity can enhance by clever policymaking through creating a safe and desirable environment for surgical team.