Continuous training based on the needs of operating room nurses using web application: a new approach to improve their knowledge.

INTRODUCTION: Since university education and intensive and limited pre-service training do not provide an acceptable level of performing the duties of operating room nurses, and considering the limitations of traditional training methods in the field of operating room; This study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of using the electronic education approach based on web application, leveled, personalized and based on the needs of nurses on their level of knowledge and satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research is a quasi-experimental type of single-group multi-center pre-test-post-test, which during that, four stages of educational needs assessment, educational content design, web application design for training and evaluation of operating room nurses and determining the effectiveness of this method are included. Based on their knowledge and satisfaction, during this period, 36 nurses from the operating rooms that met the study criteria were included in the study by stratified random sampling based on the determined sample size. The data collection includes a four-choice test to measure the knowledge of operating room nurses in heart anatomy (score range 0-20), the principles of movement, transferring and positioning of the patient in the operating room (score range 0-15), the principles of ergonomics in the operating room (score range score 0-10) and satisfaction questionnaire (score range 0-28). Data collected using descriptive statistical tests (percentage of frequency and frequency, mean and standard deviation) and analytical tests (paired sample t-test, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, chi-square) with the software SPSS version 16 was analyzed. RESULTS: Generally, the average knowledge scores of operating room nurses before and after the intervention were 5.96 ± 3.96 vs. 13.6 ± 3.77, in the course of principles of moving, transferring and positioning the patient in the operating room were 6.3 ± 3.42 vs. 13.3 ± 1.32, respectively 8.7 ± 3.97 vs. 18.1 ± 1.07 (in heart anatomy), 1.57 ± 2.6 vs. 0.73 ± 9.1 (in the principles of ergonomics in the operating room) and the average Knowledge scores after the intervention were significantly higher than before the intervention (P<0.001). Also, the average satisfaction score of nurses was 21.3 ± 5.83 and 22 nurses (64.7%) were satisfied with the e-learning course. CONCLUSION: The use of the electronic education approach based on the web application, leveled, personalized and based on the needs of the nurses, led to the improvement of the level of knowledge and satisfaction of the operating room nurses. E-learning can be used as a complementary educational tool and method for continuous training of operating room nurses in other specialized fields of operating room and surgery. HIGHLIGHTS: • Educational content in the form of educational videos taught by professors of medical sciences universities on each of the topics of heart anatomy (28 episodes of 5-10 minutes), principles of ergonomics in the operating room (7 episodes of 5-25 minutes) and movement principles. The transfer and positioning of the patient in the operating room (16 episodes of 10-20 minutes) were designed in three primary, intermediate and advanced levels. • The results of this study showed that the use of an electronic education approach based on the web application, levelled, personalized and based on the needs of nurses, led to the improvement of the knowledge of operating room nurses. Also, operating room nurses were delighted with electronic training courses. E-learning can be used as a complementary educational tool and method for continuous training of operating room nurses in other specialized fields of operating room and surgery. • Based on the results of this study, the use of an electronic education approach based on the needs of operating room nurses can be used as a complementary tool to conventional continuous education. Since this method allows interactive, personalized education is levelled, and asynchronous. It can be used at any time and place on a laptop, tablet or mobile phone; a wide range of operating room nurses in the hospitals of the Islamic Republic of Iran can use it for educational justice to Many borders should be established in the country. However, there are studies to evaluate the generalizability and the effect of using the e-learning approach on the clinical skills of operating room nurses and to compare the effect of e-learning with other methods and educational tools on the knowledge and skills of the learners and the extent of consolidating the learned material in their memory.

Patient positioning on the operating table and patient safety: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To identify occurrence of harmful incidents related to patient positioning on operating table. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Eight databases including Ovid, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar were systematically searched from the inception of the databases to August 2023. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram depicting the flow information. REVIEW METHODS: The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tools were used to assess the risk of bias. Risk of harm with 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated for each included study, and an overall risk was calculated using meta-analysis. RESULTS: Of the 22 included reports, two were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), five had a prospective cohort design, three had a cross-sectional design, and 12 were register-based studies. Intraoperative peripheral nerve injuries, perioperative pressure ulcers, musculoskeletal injuries, vascular injuries, postoperative pain and eye injuries were related to supine, lithotomy, Trendelenburg, prone and beach chair positioning. Overall risk of any harm was estimated as 0.2%. Studies with patients placed in prone positioning (8 study samples) had the highest risks of harm varying from 0.19 to 0.81, with an overall risk of 0.33. Meta-analysis of the two RCTs showed higher risk of chemosis with head-down positioning than with head in neutral position (overall relative risk = 1.64; 95% CI: [1.25, 2.14]). CONCLUSIONS: Harmful incidents related to patient positioning occur and consequences can be severe. The operating room teams should be aware of the harms and prevent and treat them seriously. IMPACT: This review underlines that research is sparse on patient positioning on operating table and harmful incidents. There is a need for high-quality, well-designed studies that focus on harmful incidents and prevention of harm related to patient positioning. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution, as this is a review of previous research.

Exploring the competencies of operating room nurses in mobile surgical teams based on the Onion Model: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: With the frequent occurrence of public health emergencies, conflicts and natural disasters around the world, mobile surgical teams are becoming more crucial. The competency of the operating room (OR) nurse has a substantial impact on the effectiveness and quality of the surgical team's treatment, still there is limited knowledge about OR nurse competencies in mobile surgical teams. This study aimed to explore the competencies of OR nurses in mobile surgical teams based on the Onion Model. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study of participants from 10 mobile surgical teams in 2022. Twenty-one surgical team members were interviewed, including 15 OR nurses, four surgeons, and two anesthesiologists. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using Mayring's content analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight competencies were found in the data analysis, which were grouped into four major domains using the Onion Model. From the outer layer to the inner layer were knowledge and skills, professional abilities, professional quality, and personal traits. The qualitative data revealed several novel competencies, including triage knowledge, self and mutual medical aid, outdoor survival skills, and sense of discipline. CONCLUSIONS: The application of the Onion Model promotes the understanding of competency and strengthens the theoretical foundations of this study. New competencies can enrich the content of the competencies of OR nurses. The results of this study can be used for clinical recruitment, evaluation and training of OR nurses in mobile surgical teams. This study encourages further research to develop competency assessment tools and training programs for OR nurses.

The Effect of Visits by Operating Room Nurses Before Cardiac Surgery on Anxiety and Pain Management.

PURPOSE: Further studies are needed in line with the Enhanced Recovery for Cardiac Surgery (ERCS) protocols with a view to reducing anxiety and opioid use in cardiac surgery patients. The present study investigates the effects of preoperative visits by operating room nurses to patients scheduled for cardiac surgery on postoperative anxiety, pain severity and frequency, and the type and dose of analgesic medication. DESIGN: This is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design involving nonrandomized groups. METHODS: The study was conducted in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of a Foundation University Hospital in Turkey between August 20, 2020 and April 15, 2021. Included in the study were patients selected based on a nonprobability sampling approach who met the study inclusion criteria (aged 18-75 years, no psychiatric diagnosis or drug use, first cardiovascular surgery experience, scheduled for elective surgery, up to five coronary anastomoses, literate and able to speak and understand Turkish, undergoing cardiovascular surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB)) determined by the researcher. The treatment group was visited preoperatively by operating room nurses, and followed-up for the first 72 hours after surgery. FINDINGS: The intervention was effective in reducing postoperative state anxiety levels (P < .05). In the control group, each one-point increase in the preoperative state-anxiety level caused a 9% increase in the length of stay in the intensive care unit (P < .05). Pain severity increased as the preoperative state-anxiety and trait-anxiety levels, and the postoperative state-anxiety levels, increased (P < .05). While there was no significant difference in pain severity, the intervention proved to be effective in reducing pain frequency (P < .05). It was further noted that the intervention reduced the use of opioid and nonopioid analgesics for the first 12 hours (P < .05). The probability of using opioid analgesics increased 1.56 times (P < .05) with each one-point increase in pain severity reported by the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The participation of operating room nurses in preoperative patient care can contribute to the management of anxiety and pain and the reduction of opioids. It is recommended that such an approach be implemented as an independent nursing intervention given the potential contribution to ERCS protocols.

[Operating room nurses and the surgical robot, turning a competitor into an ally]. / Les infirmières de bloc opératoire et le robot chirurgical, faire d'un concurrent un allié.

The ambivalence of the professional identity of the State Certified Operating Room Nurse (SCNO) is due to the difficulty of building a non-surgical technicality. Therefore, the participation of ORNs in robotic developments seems to be a way of emancipation for the profession.

Positioning patients for robotic-assisted surgery: A qualitative study of operating room nurses' experiences.

AIM: One of the challenges of robotic-assisted surgery is related to positioning of the patient on the operating table. Technological developments place increased demands on operating room nurses' competence to prevent positioning injuries and ensuring care quality. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe operating room nurses' experiences when positioning the patients for robotic-assisted surgery. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative design. METHODS: Seven operating room nurses with experience in robotic-assisted surgery were included at a university hospital. Data were obtained through individual interviews and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative research COREQ checklist was used. RESULTS: We identified three categories, (a) patient positioning is challenging during robotic-assisted surgery, (b) operating room nurses take responsibility for patient positioning during robotic-assisted surgery, but teamwork is important and (c) operating room nurses aim to achieve safe patient positioning during robotic-assisted surgery.

The Effect of Preoperative Nursing Visit on Anxiety and Pain Level of Patients After Surgery.

PURPOSE: Preoperative education is an important part of surgical preparation. Nursing visits offer nurses the opportunity to provide personalized care. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nursing visits before laparoscopic surgery on the anxiety and pain levels of patients in the postoperative period. DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial. METHODS: Data were collected from 135 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery between March and October 2019 in Istanbul. During the nursing visits, the experimental group (n = 72) was educated by the operating room nurse, while the control group (n = 63) was educated by the service nurse. Data were collected using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Visual Analog Scale. The CONSORT checklist was followed. FINDINGS: The pre-education state anxiety scores of the control and experimental groups were similar and at a moderate level (P > .05). The state anxiety score of the experimental group visited by operating room nurses decreased more than that of the control group after education (P < .001). The postoperative state anxiety and pain scores of the control and experimental groups were found to be similar (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Visits by operating room nurses before laparoscopic surgery can be an effective method to reduce the anxiety level of patients. Obtaining the opinions of operating room nurses on care integration and organization of in-service education programs may be necessary.

Swedish translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the pressure ulcer knowledge assessment tool for use in the operating room.

The aim of this study was to psychometrically evaluate the Swedish operating room version of PUKAT 2.0. In total, 284 Swedish operating room nurses completed the survey of whom 50 completed the retest. The item difficulty P-value of 14 items ranged between 0.38 and 0.96 (median 0.65). Three items were found to be too easy (0.90-0.96). The D-value of 14 items ranged between 0.00 and 0.42 (median 0.46). Three items had a D-value lower than 0.20 (0.11-0.16) and eight items scored higher than 0.40 (0.45-0.61). The quality of the response alternatives (a-value) ranged between 0.00 and 0.42. This showed that nurses with a master's degree had a higher knowledge than nurses with a professional degree (respectively 9.4/14 versus 8.6/14; t = -2.4, df = 199, P = 0.02). The ICC was 0.65 (95% CI 0.45-0.78). The ICCs for the domains varied from 0.12 (95% CI = -0.16-0.39) to 0.59 (95% CI = 0.38-0.75). Results indicated that 11 of the original items contributed to the overall validity. However, the low participation in the test-retest made the reliability of the instrument low. An extended evaluation with a larger sample should be considered in order to confirm aspects of the psychometric properties of this instrument.

Mediating effect of emotion regulatory self-efficacy in the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and turnover intention among operating room nurses / 中国职业医学

Objective To explore the mediating effect of emotion regulatory self-efficacy (ERSE) in the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and turnover intention in operating room nurses. Methods A total of 372 operating room nurses from five hospitals in Shenyang City were selected as the research subjects using covenient sampling method. The Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, Turnover Intention Scale, and Emotional Self-Regulation Efficacy Scale were used to study the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), turnover intention, and ERSE among the study subjects. The Bootstrap method was used for mediation effect analysis of ERSE. Results The prevalence of WMSDs among operating room nurses was 69.9%. The scores for turnover intention and ERSE among operating room nurses were (13.6±6.3) and (34.7±16.2), respectively. ERSE played a partial mediating role in the relationship between WMSDs and turnover intention among operating room nurses, with an effect value of 0.04 and the 95% confidence interval of 0.01 to 0.08, accounting for 8.1% of the total effect. Conclusion WMSDs and ERSE directly influence turnover intention among operating room nurses. WMSDs can indirectly increase turnover intention by reducing ERSE among operating room nurses.

Prevalence and associated factors of self-reported medical errors and adverse events among operating room nurses in China.

Background: In recent decades, the prominence of medical errors (MEs) and adverse events (AEs) is fueled by several studies performed across the world. Correspondingly, a high prevalence of medical errors and adverse events have been reported. Operating room nurses (ORNs) were indispensable members of the operating process, and any kind of MEs or AEs from ORNs may cause serious results and even death to the patients. However, to the best of our knowledge, the prevalence and associated factors of MEs and AEs were never reported among ORNs in China, which is the largest country in population and health services quantity in the world. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, which was conducted among ORNs in China, and 787 valid questionnaires were analyzed in this study. MEs, AEs, gender, age, married status, religious belief, academic degree, manager or not, working years, working hours/week, physical disease, and mental health were evaluated in this study. MEs were evaluated by eight questions about the occurrence of eight kinds of MEs for the ORNs. For ORNs with MEs, further questions about clinical harm to the patients were interviewed, which analyzed AEs. Kessler 10 was used to evaluate the ORNs' mental health. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the factors associated with MEs and AEs. Results: The prevalence of MEs and AEs was 27.7 and 13.9% among ORNs, respectively. The most frequent MEs that occurred among ORNs were from surgical instruments (9.1%), disinfection (9.0%), equipment and consumables (8.9%), and specimen management (7.8%). MEs were positively associated with lower working years, poor mental health, and physical disease. The physical disease was positively associated with AEs. Conclusion: The prevalence of perceived MEs and AEs was at a higher level than other kinds of nurses. Fresh ORNs with physical and mental health problems were the risk population for MEs, and ORNs with physical disease were at a higher risk for AEs. All the findings implied that MEs and AEs were an important issue for ORNs, and ORNs with physical and mental health problems should be paid attention to control MEs and AEs.

Psychometric evaluation of the perceived perioperative competence scale-revised among the Chinese operating room nurses: a methodological research.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative competence is necessary to evaluate operating room nurses. The Perceived Perioperative Competence Scale-Revised (PPCS-R) is the only available tool developed specifically for the perioperative setting. However, there is a lack of research on the reliability and validity of this scale among Chinese nurses. Thus, the aim of this study is to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Perioperative competence Scale-Revised (PPCS-R) among operating room nurses in China. METHODS: Instrument cultural adaptation was carried out through forward translation, back translation, expert panel evaluation and pretesting. The psychometric properties (content validation, item analysis, construct validation, and reliability coefficient) of the Chinese PPCS-R (C-PPCS-R) were examined. An online survey was completed from June to August 2020 by operating room nurses (N = 480) in five third-grade class-A hospitals in Beijing. RESULTS: The item analysis identified six items for scale reduction. Exploratory factor analysis showed the remaining 34 items loaded on six factors, which were named in accordance with the original scale. The six-factor model showed a good fit through confirmatory factor analysis. The item content validity index for the C-PPCS-R items ranged from 0.857 to 1.000, and that for the total scale was 0.875. Cronbach's alpha was showed 0.787. Together, the six factors explained 68.62% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: The 34-item C-PPCS-R showed good validity and reliability to measure perceived competence among operating room nurses in the Chinese context. The scale can assist nurse managers to identify operating room nurses' perceived competence, and provides evaluation criteria for career planning, performance appraisal, job assignment, and continuing education.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of surgical site infection prevention among operating room nurses in southwest China.

Background: Surgical site infection has become a problem in the operating room, and the nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice could impact the incidence of the infection. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of studies on this issue in China. Therefore, determining nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice of surgical site infection prevention is necessary. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of surgical site infection prevention and their relationships, as well as to identify differences in knowledge, attitude, and practice of surgical site infection prevention according to nurses' demographic characteristics. Methods: A sample of 999 operating room nurses participated in 49 tertiary hospitals and 75 secondary hospitals in Guizhou Province, Southwest China. Data were collected using validated questionnaires through a Chinese survey website. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, One-Way Analysis of Variance, and Pearson product-moment correlation. Results: The knowledge of surgical site infection prevention was at a low level, the attitude was positive, and the practice was at a high level. Approximately 39% of the nurses passed knowledge scores of ≥ 70%, 60% gave a positive attitude score of ≥ 80%, and 76% achieved a practice score of ≥ 80%. The nurses' attitude was positively related to knowledge (p < .01), and practice (p < .01), respectively. However, knowledge and practice did not significantly relate. The age group of 30-39 years old had significant higher knowledge than other age groups. The nurses with working experience of 6-15 years had significant higher knowledge scores than other groups. In addition, the nurses with one time of training frequency had significant lower attitude and practice scores than those with six to ten times of training frequency. Conclusion: Approximately 60% of operating room nurses still had inadequate knowledge regarding surgical site infection prevention, but they had a positive attitude and high level of practice. The findings of this study might serve as an input for nurse administrators or policymakers to provide updated knowledge or guideline, closed supervision, and in-service training on surgical site infection prevention for operating room nurses.

The Effect of an Operating Room Nurse Visit on Surgical Patient Anxiety.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an operating room nurse visit on the anxiety levels of surgical patients. DESIGN: A prospective, interventional, quasi-experimental design. METHODS: 80 patients were divided into the control group (n = 40) and the intervention group (n = 40). The control group was given routine care, and the intervention group was visited preoperatively by the operating room nurse in addition to routine care. FINDINGS: The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI TX-1) mean score of the control patients who had information about anesthesia was low, while the STAI TX-1 mean score of the patients who had concerns about surgery was high. The STAI-TX-1 mean score of the control group patients who had information about anesthesia was significantly lower. There was no statistically significant difference in the STAI TX-1 scores between the two groups before and after surgery (P > .05). However, the STAI TX-1 mean score of the control patients was high in the post-operative period. CONCLUSIONS: In an effort to reduce anxiety, the psychological preparation of the patient undergoing urological surgery should involve an anesthesia team member and the operating room nurse together.

Operating room nurses' experiences of limited access to daylight in the workplace - a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: The operating room nurse is, among other things, responsible for patient safety and maintaining an aseptic environment. For hygienic reasons unnecessary traffic in the operating room should be avoided, which may mean that the operating room nurse works long shifts without relief. Operating departments are usually separated, where there might be no daylight opportunities in the operating room. The purpose of the study was to describe operating room nurses' experiences of limited access to daylight in the workplace. METHOD: Qualitative design with four semi-structured focus groups of totally 15 operating room nurses. The analysis was performed with a content analysis with an inductive approach. RESULTS: The study generated two main categories, difference in light and contact with the outer world. Operating room nurses felt that daylight affected them differently from the light from lamps, where daylight was considered important for experiencing well-being. Daylight could lead to a sensation of joy but also increased awareness and energy which seemed to improve the ability to perform at work. The limited access to daylight contributed to fatigue and led to an internal stress that affected the nurses even after work. Having opportunities to look out through windows under a workday was important to experience contact with the outside world and created a sense of time. CONCLUSION: To look out can reduce the feeling of being trapped in the closed context that the operating department entails. It can also lead to increased well-being and comfort in the workplace. We consider that daylight is an important component in the physical work environment that needs to be taken into consideration in further research as well as in new construction of operations departments.

Determining anxiety levels and related factors in operating room nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Health care professionals responsible for care and treatment during outbreaks are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, insomnia and stress. AIM: This study investigated operating room nurses' anxiety levels and related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The research was conducted between July and September 2020. The sample consisted of 192 operating room nurses. Data were collected using a descriptive questionnaire and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). RESULTS: Participants had moderate levels of anxiety. The risk factors associated with high levels of anxiety included having chronic diseases, working with patients causing worry, fear of contracting COVID-19 and transmitting it to loved ones, incompetence of hospitals in managing the pandemic, lack of support from hospital managers, taking few breaks and working long shifts due to preventive measures at the workplace. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS OF NURSING MANAGEMENT: The results show that operating room nurses have had moderate anxiety levels since the onset of the pandemic. Therefore, it is critical to regularly identify and meet their mental and emotional needs to implement early preventive interventions. Identifying risk factors will help recognize anxiety in operating room nurses and take measures to protect their mental health while working with high-risk patients in different clinics during the pandemic. What is more, managers should draw up action plans for extraordinary conditions, such as a pandemic.

Evaluation of the Knowledge of Operating Room Nurses of Preventive Practices for Protection Against COVID-19.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of operating room nurses (ORNs) of preventive practices in terms of protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). DESIGN: This research was a descriptive study. METHODS: About 279 ORNs from 17 provinces of Turkey were included. Data were collected online using Google Form. ORNs were communicated via WhatsApp or other social media platforms and were asked to answer the questionnaire. In the questionnaire, there were 12 questions on descriptive characteristics and 20 statements regarding the knowledge of ORNs on preventive practices for protection against COVID-19. FINDINGS: The rate of yes responses provided by ORNs to statements on preventive practices for protection against COVID-19 was found to be between 10% and 98.6%, whereas the rate of no responses was found to be between 0% and 25.8%. The rate of those stating that they did not have an opinion on statements was found to be between 1.8% and 48.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The level of knowledge of ORNs on protective measures against COVID-19 was quite high. However, there are important issues to consider such as the fact that most ORs do not use an algorithm or guideline for protective practices and that almost half of ORNs had not received training on protection against COVID-19.

Effect of an Ergonomics Educational Program on Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nursing Staff Working in the Operating Room: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Nursing staff working in the operating room are exposed to risk factors that can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and work-related disabilities. The use of ergonomics principles can help with the prevention of MSDs. This study aimed to examine the effect of an ergonomics educational program on MSDs among nursing staff working in the operating room. Methods: In this pragmatic parallel group quasi-randomized controlled clinical trial, 74 nursing staff working in the operating rooms of two teaching hospitals participated. The hospitals were randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control group and all nursing staff working in the operating room of each hospital were invited to take part in this research. They were initially assessed for the prevalence and risk of MSDs by using the Nordic questionnaire and the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) checklist. The intervention group received the ergonomics educational program and were assessed in two-week intervals over a period of three months. At the end of the study, the risk and prevalence of MSDs were compared between the intervention and control groups. Results: Statistically significant differences were reported between the groups in terms of the prevalence and risk of MSDs. The overall risk of MSDs decreased in the intervention group after the educational program (p = 0.03). The reduction in the prevalence of MSDs in the different parts of the body in the intervention group was as follows: ankle (p = 0.005), hand/wrist (p = 0.041), low back (p = 0.000), the neck (p = 0.003), hip (p = 0.001) and shoulder (p = 0.043). Conclusion: The education of nursing staff about ergonomics can influence the prevalence and risk of MSDs. Therefore, it should be incorporated into the degree education and on-the-job training initiatives for nurses working in the operating theatre in order to reduce workplace injuries and associated absences, and increase the quality of care delivered by them. This clinical trial has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT2015081823677N1.

Low Back Pain in Operating Room Nurses and Its Associated Factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of low back pain and the associated factors in operating room nurses. METHODS: The population of the descriptive study consists of 133 operating room nurses working in the operating rooms of five major hospitals located in Istanbul, and the study sample consists of 96 operating room nurses who are not on leave or sick leave between July-2016 to February 2017. Data were collected via a question form prepared by the researchers. RESULTS: It was determined that more than half of the operating room nurses forming the sample group had low back pain and that it is affected from the practices of operating room nurses during a shift, which may cause physical strain such as year of working as an operating room nurse, bending and staying in the same position for a long time, holding an instrument for a long time, rotational movement inadequate to body mechanics, lifting/carrying heavy medical items and pushing/pulling heavy medical equipment. CONCLUSION: Majority of operating room nurses had low back pain and it was associated with coercive movements during surgery.

Use of the surgical safety checklist in the operating room: Operating room nurses' perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the opinions of operating room nurses towards the Surgical Safety ChecklistTR (SSCTR) and to determine applications for using SSCTR in operating rooms. METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 102 nurses working in the operating rooms of a state hospital and a university hospital in the Afyonkarahisar province. Descriptive statistics method were used for data analysis. RESULTS: It was found that all operating room nurses knew the SSCTR and that they had a positive opinion regarding the necessity of the SSCTR. However, most of the participants stated that the SSCTR was not applied effectively in the operating room. CONCLUSION: The results obtained from the study show that changes focusing on the development of a culture of patient safety (PS) and team collaboration in operating rooms must be made in order to apply SSCTR consistently and properly.