How Perioperative Nurses React to Intraoperative Nursing Errors

Objective. This study was conducted to determine how nurses cope with committing an error and whether changes in practice occur. Background. Errors in nursing practice are a growing concern in healthcare posing a threat to patient safety. Practitioners have been hesitant to come forward and report errors because of negative ramifications in the workplace. Method. For this descriptive, correlational study, OR RNs (N = 272) who were members of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) participated in the study. Of the sample, 158 participants admitted to committing an intraoperative nursing error. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) cognitive theory of psychological stress and coping. Results. Nurses who used accepting responsibility as a coping strategy tended to experience high levels of emotional distress (r = .55, p = 5 .000). Using multiple regression analysis, the strategies of accepting responsibility (β = .34, p < .001) and using self-control (β = .17, p < .05) were found to be significant predictors of emotional distress. Seeking social support (β = .20, p < .05) and planful problem solving (β = .29, p < .001) emerged as significant predictors of constructive changes in practice. The most predictive of defensive changes was the strategy of escape-avoidance (β = .35, p < .001). Conclusion. OR nurses experienced a variety of emotions after committing an error which led to alterations in the way they practiced. Grants. This study was funded by a grant from AORN.