Evaluation of operating room staff's attitudes related to patient safety: A questionnaire study

Purpose: This research was performed in order to evaluate the safety attitudes of operating room staff according to some personal and professional characteristics and their inter-professional relationships which can affect safety attitudes. Method: Data were collected from 290 operating room staff including nurses, anesthetists, and surgeons at the two university hospitals in Turkey. A Turkish translation of SAQ-OR and employee information form were used to collect data. Results: The following factors significantly contributed to an increase in safety attitudes among operating room staff: having worked 11 years or more, working only in the day time, and working in operating rooms that have 2–5 surgery per day. Also, operating room staff exhibit a higher level of team collaboration and communication with their colleagues and nurses than other operating room staff. Conclusion: Patient safety culture and teamwork between OR staff should be improved.