Difficulties of nurses in patient safety in the surgical center: An exploratory study

Abstract

Objective: To describe the nurses' difficulties in managing patient safety in the surgical center. Method: A descriptive exploratory study, with a quantitative and qualitative approach, conducted by means of an online survey with 204 nurses working in the surgical centers from different Brazilian regions. The questionnaire contained data on socio-professional characterization and an open question. For analysis, descriptive statistics and textual analysis were adopted with the support of the IRAMUTEQ software. Results: Three semantic classes were obtained: (1) Organizational support (35.6%); (2) Interpersonal conflicts at work (38.3%); and (3) Involvement of the health team in the safe surgery checklist (25.8%). Conclusion: The nurses' difficulties in managing patient safety in the surgical center are mainly related to interpersonal relationships in the workplace and to organizational support.