The operating room--perceptions of a change in working environment

Area of Science:

• Healthcare facility design
• Occupational health
• Surgical nursing

Background:

• The design of operating room (OR) facilities significantly impacts staff experience and operational efficiency.
• Understanding staff perceptions of new healthcare environments is crucial for optimizing workflow and well-being.
• Surgical nurses' expectations and comfort levels are key indicators of a successful facility transition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate operating room (OR) staff perceptions of a newly designed facility.
• To assess the impact of the new OR design on staff expectations, physical comfort, mood, and workload.
• To identify specific themes related to facility design, security, and workload influencing staff satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was administered to operating room (OR) staff.
• Survey themes included facility design, security, and workload.
• Data were analyzed to compare perceptions before and after the facility transition.

Main Results:

• Physical comfort levels among OR staff significantly improved in the new facility.
• Surgical nurses expressed heightened expectations regarding their roles and functions.
• Despite improvements in comfort, overall staff mood was not positively affected by the new OR environment.
• Perceptions of workload and security were also surveyed.

Conclusions:

• While new operating room (OR) designs can enhance physical comfort, they do not automatically improve staff mood.
• Facility design must align with evolving staff expectations, particularly for surgical nurses, to positively influence job satisfaction.
• Further research should explore the psychological impact of healthcare environments on surgical teams.