The operating room as a clinical learning environment: An exploratory study.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Surgical Nursing
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Clinical placements are crucial for nursing students to acquire context-specific skills.
• The operating room (OR) is a unique environment for developing critical perioperative care skills.
• Limited research exists on the OR as a clinical learning environment within South Africa's private healthcare sector.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nursing students' perceptions of the operating room as a clinical learning environment.
• To identify factors influencing the learning experience in the OR.
• To gather recommendations for improving OR clinical placements.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory, interpretive, and descriptive qualitative design was employed.
• Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires (n=8) and focus group discussions (n=12).
• Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes from student feedback.

Main Results:

• Four major themes emerged: interpersonal factors, educational factors, the private OR context, and recommendations.
• Students recognized the OR's potential for unique skill acquisition.
• Key findings indicated predominantly negative perceptions of the OR learning experience.

Conclusions:

• Despite learning opportunities, nursing students perceive the OR negatively as a clinical learning environment.
• There is a need to address students' preparatory requirements for OR placements.
• Enhanced collaboration among educators, mentors, and theatre managers is essential for improving OR education.