Surgical nurse experience with adverse events - a descriptive qualitative study

Aim: To explore the experience of surgical nurses with adverse events. Design: A descriptive qualitative study. Methods: Data were collected between August 2021 and February 2022 using semi-structured interviews. Participants were nurses (n = 10) working in surgical care units in a teaching hospital in the Slovak Republic. The interviews were recorded on an audio recorder and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Two main themes were identified: Adverse events in the surgical workplace and Preventive strategies aimed at reducing adverse events. Several subthemes specified themes and reflected the nurse’s experience with adverse events in surgical settings. Conclusion: Surgical workplaces are at risk of adverse events due to the number of surgical procedures. Given that most adverse events are preventable and systemic factors are responsible for their occurrence, we recommend implementing risk management, including active identification of patients at risk, teamwork support, management of missing resources, adjustment of the environment, and creation of a positive patient safety culture.