"Who Does the Operating Room Resuscitation?" Experiences of Operating Room Nurses and Anesthesia Technicians...

This study aimed to determine the opinions, experiences, and recommendations of operating room (OR) nurses and anesthesia technicians in intraoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation (IO-CPR) management.

A qualitative design was used in the present study.

This study was conducted using in-depth interviews with OR nurses (n = 8) and anesthesia technicians (n = 7) working in the OR unit of a tertiary hospital in Türkiye. The analysis and synthesis of the data were conducted through the use of an inductive thematic approach.

As a result of the data analysis, three main and eight subthemes were identified: (1) information insufficiency (insufficient knowledge about the patient and the surgical process, the management of the IO-CPR process), (2) roles related to the IO-CPR management process (not being involved in process management, conveniences, and challenges), and (3) recommendations for IO-CPR management (preoperative evaluation, intraoperative monitoring, and training and cooperation of the OR team).

The OR nurses did not actively participate in the process of IO-CPR management and only observed the general condition of the patient during the CPR management process. Anesthesia technicians played an active role in the management of IO-CPR and often took the lead in coordinating the actions of the OR team. A comprehensive review of the roles and responsibilities of OR nurses during intraoperative cardiac arrest is warranted, with the aim of informing appropriate structural and procedural revisions to enhance team performance and patient outcomes.