Investigation of Operating Room Technicians' Views Regarding Operating Room Internships

Abstract

Background: Operating Room Technicians are members of a surgical team who obtain theoretical training in the classroom and practical experience in the surgical operating room. The key areas of their training include: learning to work as part of a team, implementing good communication skills, understanding surgical procedures, and learning how to provide and maintain an optimal environment that ensures patient safety. Furthermore, they are also expected to provide high-quality and up-to-date health services. It should be pointed out that, despite the fact that there have been many studies published which assess medical education, only a few have been carried out that investigate the factors affecting the education and training of the Operating Room Technician. In our study we aimed to evaluate the applications of Operating Room Technician students in the operating room, as a clinical learning environment, and to evaluate their perceptions about the operating room. Methods: Between the years 2015 and 2019, out of a total of 253 Operating Room Technician trainees at Ege University Medical Faculty Hospital, a retrospective evaluation of 240 internship forms was carried out. Operating room applications were assessed according to frequency order and difficulty perception. Responses to open-ended questions regarding the surgical team and operating room were grouped. Results: The average contribution of internships to vocational education was 8.8 ± 1.2 out of 10 points The overall application frequency of all skills in the operating room was 4.3 ± 0.70 over 5 points. The mean score of detection of all skills was 3.9 ± 0.10 over 5 points. The most common medical intervention: wearing and removing sterile gloves (4.9 ± 0.10). The most difficult interventions: preparation and packaging of surgical packs (4.6 ± 0.40); control of preparation and packaging of reserve surgical materials (4.5 ± 0.50); communication with team members (4.3 ± 0.70) over 5 points. The students stated that the attitudes of the operating room team were not positive (3,7/10 points). Conclusion: Our study concludes therefore, that in order to overcome negative perceptions about the operating room, it is necessary to create a positive communication environment, and it is equally important that students are supported during the crucial period of adaptation and orientation.