Interdisciplinary Operating Room Ergonomics Needs and Priorities: A Survey of Operating Room Staff

To examine perceived operating room (OR) ergonomics facilitators and barriers, with a focus on the interdisciplinary team.

Poor ergonomics causes musculoskeletal injuries affecting all OR staff with repercussions on patient care, outcomes, and sustainability. Lack of ergonomic awareness and education are risk factors.

We conducted a self-administered web-based survey of OR nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists at a single center (n = 238). We developed a questionnaire through item generation and reduction, followed by reliability and validity testing.

Response rate was 53.8%. Respondents perceived that on average 80% of nurses, 70% of surgeons, and 40% of anesthesiologists experienced musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries, with no difference in professional groups' perceptions. Guideline ergonomics interventions were rarely used (<25%) except for specialized clothing (33%), equipment repositioning (59%), and seating (37%), though perceived as beneficial by 80% to 90%. Reported barriers to optimal ergonomics were organizational/structural (lack of time, space, equipment, funding), whereas solutions were individual. Fear of unfavorable perceptions from others was a concern for 62%. Teams discussing, prioritizing, monitoring, or helping with ergonomics was indicated by <50%. Individual ergonomic adaptations were perceived as convenience by other staff.

While structural/organizational issues are reported as barriers to ergonomics, solutions appear as individual responsibilities. Team dynamics did not prioritize nor support ergonomics. Education tools leveraging the interdisciplinary team are warranted. This work will be supplemented by interviews and live observations to build tailored educational tools for OR teams.