At Risk Safety Behaviors of the Perioperative Nursing Team: A Direct Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Surgical Nursing
• Ergonomics

Background:

• The operating room presents unique hazards and high ergonomic demands for nurses, including patient lifting, prolonged standing, and heavy equipment.
• Despite existing safety policies, registered nurse injuries are on the rise, with current research relying on potentially inaccurate survey methods.
• Understanding at-risk safety behaviors is crucial for developing effective injury prevention interventions for perioperative nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and quantify at-risk safety behaviors among perioperative nurses in the operating room environment.
• To provide objective data on ergonomic risks faced by nurses during surgical procedures.
• To inform the development of targeted safety interventions for perioperative nursing staff.

Main Methods:

• Direct observation of two perioperative nurses during 60 surgical procedures, involving a total of 120 nurses.
• Utilized the Job Safety Behavioral Observation (JBSO) process, specifically adapted for the operating room setting.
• Systematic data collection to document instances of at-risk behaviors during observed surgical procedures.

Main Results:

• A total of 82 at-risk behaviors were observed among the 120 perioperative nurses.
• At least one at-risk behavior was observed in 13% of the surgical procedures studied.
• 12.5% of individual perioperative nurses exhibited at least one at-risk behavior during the observation period.

Conclusions:

• The findings underscore the prevalence of at-risk behaviors among perioperative nurses.
• Increased focus on perioperative nurse safety is essential for maintaining a healthy and productive workforce.
• Addressing these safety concerns is vital for ensuring the delivery of high-quality patient care.