Nursing culture of an operating theater in Italy

Sociocultural and organizational factors that influence the work culture of nurses in an Italian operating theater were the subject of the present qualitative explorative study. Italy is one of the world's wealthiest, most powerful countries. Yet little is known outside its borders about the unique culture of Italian nurses at work in hospitals and its effect on health care. Throughout this Japanese author's first hand experience of the microculture of Italian nursing, using a microethnographic design with focus groups for cultural interpretation, data were collected during 2000-2001 from 25 staff nurses working full-time in one regional hospital. Nurses in the operating theater, considerably less educated than doctors and accustomed to the power and status of medicine, were directed in nearly all activities by physicians. Finding little leadership from management, the nurses developed solid defenses against change and conflict through concerted allegiance to one another. The findings suggest that with Italian nurses questioning tradition and seeking university education, there may be gradual recognition by medicine, management and the public of their contribution to health system performance, improved patient care outcomes, and the value of the nursing profession.