Nurse Anesthetists' Experience In Maintaining Patient Safety In The Operating Room With High Workload: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study

Lukas Handoko, Agustinus Purna Irawan

Abstract


This study aims to explore in depth the experiences of nurse anesthetists in maintaining patient safety in operating rooms with high workloads. A qualitative descriptive approach with a phenomenological approach was used to explore the subjective meaning of nurse anesthetists towards their work challenges. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten nurse anesthetists in a general hospital with a minimum work experience criterion of two years. The results of the study identified five main themes, namely: (1) high workload characterized by high volume of operations and limited rest time, (2) the impact of workload on physical and psychological conditions and patient safety, (3) adaptation strategies such as time management, spiritual approaches, and team communication, (4) preparedness in dealing with emergency situations, and (5) the need for institutional support from hospital management. Senior nurses tend to rely more on experience, spirituality, and emotional control, while junior nurses need more supervision and advanced training. The conclusion of this study shows that high workload significantly affects the work performance and well-being of anesthesia nurses. Individual coping strategies and institutional support are key to maintaining patient safety and maintaining anesthesia nurse addiction in a high-intensity work environment. This study provides an important contribution to more humanistic hospital policies and supports frontline health workers.

Keywords


nurse anesthetists; high workload; patient safety; work stress; adaptation strategies; phenomenology.

References


Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2013). Principles of biomedical ethics (7th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brown, A., Smith, J., & Lee, R. (2019). Operating room dynamics and their impact on staff well-being: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28 (15–16), 2803–2813. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14855

Chen, Y., Zhang, L., & Wu, Y. (2022). Organizational support and nurses' well-being: A mediation model of stress and coping. Journal of Nursing Management, 30 (2), 422–431. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13345

Davis, M., Nguyen, P., & Patel, T. (2021). Work-life balance among perioperative nurses: Challenges and coping strategies. Nursing Outlook, 69 (3), 321–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2020.11.007

Gonzalez, M., & Murray, H. (2020). High workload in surgical nursing and its implications for retention. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 107 , 103560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103560

Hoffman, L.A., Sullivan, D.T., & Reck, M. (2020). Medical-surgical nursing: Making connections to practice (3rd ed.). F.A. Davis Company.

Johnson, R., Peters, K., & Wilson, L. (2019). Burnout and decision-making in nurse anesthetists: A qualitative perspective. Nurse Education in Practice, 38 , 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2019.05.014

Karasek, R., & Theorell, T. (1990). Healthy work: Stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of work life . Basic Books.

Keller, S., & Wong, C. A. (2019). Mental health issues among operating room nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75 (4), 839–848. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13895

Lee, J., & Park, S. (2021). Coping strategies among nurse anesthetists: A phenomenological study. BMC Nursing, 20 (1), 145. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00657-z

Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). Measuring experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2 (2), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205

Miller, T., & Brown, R. (2023). The role of hospital policies in nurse anesthetist resilience. Journal of Health Services Research, 58 (1), 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsrj.12457

Nagelhout, JJ, & Plaus, KL (2018). Nurse anesthesia (6th ed.). Elsevier.

Reason, J. (2000). Human error: Models and management. BMJ, 320 (7237), 768–770. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7237.768

Schweitzer, D. (2017). Clinical competencies for nurse anesthesia practice . Springer Publishing Company.

Smith, H., Garcia, R., & Lin, D. (2018). Stress and cognitive decline in nurse anesthetists: An emerging risk factor. American Journal of Nursing, 118 (10), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000544952.23302.65

Sun, H., Zhang, L., & Zhao, Y. (2021). Workload in the operating room: A comparative study between departments. Journal of Nursing Research, 29 (5), e160. https://doi.org/10.1097/jnr.00000000000000431

Wilson, G., & Patel, N. (2021). Staffing shortages and nursing workload in surgical settings. British Journal of Nursing, 30 (14), 830–836. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2021.30.14.830


Full Text: PDF

DOI: 10.33751/jhss.v9i2.12092

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.