Nurses' experiences of working with robotic assisted surgery in an Irish healthcare setting: A qualitative descriptive design

Aim

To explore the experiences of nurses working with robotic assisted surgery patients.

Background

Robotic assisted surgery has grown considerably since its introduction in the 1980’s with more than 6500 da Vinci robots installed worldwide and over 55,000 surgeons trained to use these machines. Nurses play a major role in the successful completion of robotic surgery; however, minimal research has been conducted in the literature to date surrounding robotic assisted surgery nurses’ experiences working in the perioperative department and beyond.

Design

Qualitative descriptive design with thematic analysis.

Method

The study sample was recruited from three care settings where nurses work with robotic assisted surgery patients including: operating theatre, surgical ward and the community. Ten semi-structured face to face interviews were conducted. Interviews were audio recorded with data transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Themes included – 1. Limited education specific to robotic assisted surgery, Subthemes: Robotic assisted surgery patient safety concerns; Lacking technical education and training; and Lacking patient postoperative care education. 2. Challenges for nurses working with robotic assisted surgery, Subthemes: Diverse dynamics in the robotic assisted surgery environment; Working with inexperienced staff; and Communication difficulties.

Conclusion

The key findings from this research are that nurses experience of working with robotic assisted surgery patients outside of the perioperative area is limited and all nurses require more education specific to caring for robotic assisted surgery patients to be competent in their roles. Further research from a national and international perspective is required to better understand the needs of nurses working with robotic assisted surgery patients.