PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Anette Nyberg AU - Birgitta Olofsson AU - Volker Otten AU - Michael Haney AU - Ann-Mari Fagerdahl TI - Patient safety during joint replacement surgery: experiences of operating room nurses AID - 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001604 DP - 2021 Nov 01 TA - BMJ Open Quality PG - e001604 VI - 10 IP - 4 4099 - http://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/10/4/e001604.short 4100 - http://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/10/4/e001604.full SO - BMJ Open Qual2021 Nov 01; 10 AB - Background Avoidable complications for surgical patients still occur despite efforts to improve patient safety processes in operating rooms. Analysis of experiences of operating room nurses can contribute to better understanding of perioperative processes and flow, and why avoidable complications still occur.Aim To explore aspects of patient safety practice during joint replacement surgery through assessment of operating room nurse experiences.Method A qualitative design using semistructured interviews with 21 operating room nurses currently involved in joint replacement surgery in Sweden. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used.Results The operating room nurses described experiences with patient safety hazards on an organisational, team and individual level. Uncertainties concerning a reliable plan for the procedure and functional reporting, as well as documentation practices, were identified as important. Teamwork and collaboration were described as crucial at the team level, including being respected as valuable, having shared goals and common expectations. On the individual level, professional knowledge, skills and experience were needed to make corrective steps.Conclusion The conditions to support patient safety, or limit complication risk, during joint replacement surgery continue to be at times inconsistent, and require steady performance attention. Operating room nurses make adjustments to help solve problems as they arise, where there are obvious risks for patient complications. The organisational patient safety management process still seems to allow deviation from established practice standards at times, and relies on individual-based corrective measures at the ‘bedside’ at times for good results.Data can be made available on reasonable request.