Patient safety and social processes in the relationship with nurses in the operating room context

Abstract

Patient safety is a worldwide problem that affects countries in all levels of development, given the risk of damages, injuries or death due to unsafe health care provision in the surgical context. This study aimed to understand the perception of nurses about patient safety in the operating room context. Descriptive and exploratory study conducted in 50 moments of participant observation and 6 semistructured interviews with nurses from the central operating room in a Public Hospital of the Sotavento Islands, Praia, Cape Verde. For data interpretation, we applied content analysis techniques. The ethical principles were followed. The explanatory cultural identity of the social processes in that context revealed unfavorable relation to patient safety as regards the aspects of surgical hand scrubbing with 2-to 5-minute scrub with chlorhexidine, use of surgical safety checklist, verifying sterilization indicators, conflict management and communication among the interdisciplinary team, people as centrality of care. Both professionals in the operating room and institutions should consider standards, supervisions, audits, and protocols as strong points for patient safety in the operating room context.

Keywords

• Segurança do paciente
• Segurança cirúrgica
• Bloco operatório
• Cuidados de enfermagem