Factors influencing patient safety culture in operating room in a teaching hospital in Jordan: a qualitative descriptive study

Purpose To explore the perceptions of surgical team members in a tertiary hospital in Jordan toward the factors influencing patient safety culture (PSC). Design/methodology/approach This was a qualitative descriptive study intended to characterize the factors that influence PSC. Interviews were conducted with health-care providers in the operation room (OR) in a tertiary Jordanian hospital. Participants included surgeons, anesthetists, nurses and senior surgical residents who had worked for three years minimum in the OR. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings A total of 33 interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis of the content yielded four major themes: (1) operational factors, (2) organizational factors, (3) health-care professionals factors and (4) patient factors. The respondents emphasized the role of the physical layout of the OR, implementing new techniques and new equipment, and management support to establish a safety culture in the operating room setting. Originality/value The present research study will have implications for hospitals and health-care providers in Jordan for developing organizational strategies to eliminate or decrease the occurrence of adverse events and improve patient safety in the OR.