Aseptic practice recommendations for circulating operating theatre nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Infection Control
• Surgical Safety

Background:

• Aseptic practices are vital for preventing surgical site infections by minimizing microbial exposure.
• The circulating nurse plays a key role in supervising aseptic practices within the operating theatre.
• Limited analytical tools exist to evaluate intraoperative nursing-related aseptic practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe a novel self-report instrument designed to assess the circulating nurse's role in aseptic practices.
• To evaluate the reliability and acceptance rates of aseptic practice recommendations among nursing staff.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 20-item self-report instrument based on international recommendations and research findings.
• Structuring the instrument across three phases: establishment, maintenance, and disestablishment of a sterile operating field.
• Testing the instrument among operating theatre and day surgery nurses to compare acceptance rates based on background characteristics.

Main Results:

• The developed instrument demonstrated reliability across its scale.
• College-level nurses and those with 15+ years of experience showed higher acceptance rates of aseptic practice recommendations.
• Differences in acceptance were observed compared to bachelor-level nurses and those with less experience.

Conclusions:

• The study introduces a reliable tool for assessing circulating nurses' aseptic practices.
• Nursing experience and education level correlate with the acceptance of aseptic practice recommendations.
• Further validation with a larger response rate and continued assessment of the evidence base are recommended for tool development.