Nurses’ Perspectives on Patient-Centred Care in Intraoperative Settings

Abstract

Patient-centred care is a well-recognised indicator of quality healthcare. Intraoperative care occurs in a highly specialised clinical setting where there is a lack of understanding of operating room nurses’ perceptions of patient-centred care and how this care is currently provided. A qualitative descriptive research design was used to explore operating room nurses’ perspectives on patient-centred care in an intraoperative setting in one tertiary-level hospital in Aotearoa New Zealand. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews from nine participants between August 2021 to November 2021 and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2013) six-phase reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were generated: 1) providing holistic care; 2) providing collaborative care; and 3) optimising patient outcomes. The findings highlight a unique blend of technical and non-technical nursing skills aligning with broad principles of patient-centred care, even when the patient is anaesthetised. Participants emphasised the importance of establishing meaningful preoperative connections with patients and incorporating culturally safe care to facilitate intraoperative patient-centred care. These insights underline the need to develop context-specific definitions of patient-centred care for the intraoperative setting, which can inform education and training to enhance patient-centred care delivery.