Affiliations: Department of Psychology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Cesena, FC, Italy
Note: [] Corresponding author: Gabriele Prati, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Viale Europa 115, 47521 Cesena (FC), Italy. Tel.: +39 0547338507; Fax: +39 0547338503; E-mail: gabriele.prati@unibo.it
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that surgical team members'
attitudes about safety and teamwork in the operating theatre may play a role in
patient safety. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess attitudes about
teamwork and safety among Italian surgeons and operating room nurses. METHODS:
Fifty-five surgeons and 48 operating room nurses working in operating theatres
at one hospital in Italy completed the Operating Room Management Attitudes
Questionnaire (ORMAQ). RESULTS: Results showed several discrepancies in attitudes about
teamwork and safety between surgeons and operating room nurses. Surgeons had
more positive views on the quality of surgical leadership, communication,
teamwork, and organizational climate in the theatre than operating room nurses.
Operating room nurses reported that safety rules and procedures were more
frequently disregarded than the surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: The results are only partially aligned with previous
ORMAQ surveys of surgical teams in other countries. The differences emphasize
the influence of national culture, as well as the particular healthcare system.
This study shows discrepancies on many aspects in attitudes to teamwork and
safety between surgeons and operating room nurses. The findings support
implementation and use of team interventions and human factor training.
Finally, attitude surveys provide a method for assessing safety culture in
surgery, for evaluating the effectiveness of training initiatives, and for
collecting data for a hospital's quality assurance programme.
Keywords: Leadership, patient safety, surgery, human factors
