Understanding nurses’ awareness, experience, and recommendations regarding the prevention of patient falls during bariatric surgery is critical to strengthen patient safety and improve the quality of care. This study aimed to determine in depth the experiences of operating room (OR) nurses regarding patient falls during bariatric surgery and their opinions and suggestions for the prevention of patient falls.
Materials and Methods:
The study is qualitative. It was conducted with 14 OR nurses working in a hospital in Turkey. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using a semistructured questionnaire. MAXQDA Software, a qualitative data analysis tool, was used.
Results:
In the findings of the study, a total of 4 themes (attitudes toward patient falls, experiences during patient falls, situations affecting patient falls, and suggestions for preventing patient falls), 15 subthemes, and 23 codes were identified.
Conclusions:
It was determined that OR nurses who experienced patient falls were meticulous about taking precautions intraoperatively. During bariatric surgery, the patient should be immobilized, safe surgical equipment should be used, and health care professionals should be trained in this regard.
HengH, JazayeriD, ShawL, et al.Hospital falls prevention with patient education: A scoping review. BMC Geriatr.2020;20(1):140–112; doi: 10.1186/s12877-020-01515-w
2.
PrielippRC, WeinkaufJL, EsserTM, et al.Falls from the O.R. or procedure table. Anesth Analg.2017;125(3):846–851; doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000002125
3.
LeeYS, ChoiEJ, KimYH, et al.Factors influencing falls in high-and low-risk patients in a tertiary hospital in Korea. J Patient Saf.2020;16(4):e376–e382; doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000593
4.
KronzerVL, WildesTM, StarkSL, et al.Review of perioperative falls. Br J Anaesth2016;117(6):720–732; doi: 10.1093/bja/aew377
5.
ChaconMM, CherukuSR, NeuburgerPJ, et al.Perioperative care of the obese cardiac surgical patient. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth2018;32(4):1911–1921; doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2017.12.025
6.
CassorlaL, LeeJPatient positioning and associated risks. In: MillerRD, ErikssonLI, FleisherLA, et al. eds. Miller’s Anesthesia. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders; 2015:1240–1265.
7.
LiC, GongX, WeiZ, Global Obesity Collaborative. et al.Novice Chinese bariatric nurses’ perceptions of their role as bariatric case managers: A qualitative study. Obesity Surgery.2024;34(5):1464–1470; doi: 10.1007/s11695-024-07177-6
8.
KouhestaniZ, AboutalebiMS, IzadanM, et al.Compliance with care standards and professional knowledge of operating theatre personnel before, during and after laparoscopic bariatric surgery: A study in public hospitals in Iran. J Perioper Pract2026;36(5):285–292; doi: 10.1177/17504589241300274
ToussaintRJ, AbousayedMM, KwonJY. Preventing falls in the operating room: A technique tip for safely tilting the operating table. Foot & Ankle Specialist.2013;6(5):372–375; doi: 10.1177/1938640013496844
11.
Altun UğraşG, YükselS, ErerMTI, et al.Are nurses willing to provide care to obese surgical patients? Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care.2017;12(3):116–122; doi: 10.1089/bari.2017.0009
12.
HalesC, CoombsM, de VriesK. The challenges in caring for morbidly obese patients in ıntensive care: A focused ethnographic study. Australian Critical Care.2018;31(1):37–41; doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2017.02.070
13.
HeydariA, ManzariZS, BagheriM. Facilitating and ımpeding factors in care of patients with obesity. Journal of Clinical Care and Skills2024;5(1):11–17; doi: 10.58209/jccs.5.1.11
HollowayI, GalvinK. Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. John Wiley & Sons; 2023.
16.
GraneheimUH, LindgrenBM, LundmanB. Methodological challenges in qualitative content analysis: A discussion paper. Nurse Educ Today2017;56:29–34; doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.06.002
17.
TongA, SainsburyP, CraigJ. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): A 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int J Qual Health Care2007;19(6):349–357; doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzm042
18.
TutarH, ErdemAT. Scientific research methods and SPSS applications with examples (1st edition).2020. Ankara: Seçkin Publishing.
19.
VasileiouK, BarnettJ, ThorpeS, et al.Characterising and justifying sample size sufficiency in interview-based studies: Systematic analysis of qualitative health research over a 15-year period. BMC Medical Research Methodology.2018;18(1):148; doi: 10.1186/s12874-018-0594-7
ErdoganS. Qualitative Research. ErdoğanS, NakhchivanN, EsinMN. (Eds) Research Process, Practice and Ethics in Nursing. 1st Edition. Nobel Medical Bookstores. 2014; (148–149). Istanbul.
22.
GhoshM, O’ConnellB, Afrifa-YamoahE, et al.A retrospective cohort study of factors associated with severity of falls in hospital patients. Sci Rep.2022;12(1):12266; doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-16403-z
23.
TanJ, KrishnanS, VacantiJC, et al.Patient falls in the operating room setting: An analysis of reported safety events. J Healthc Risk Manag2022;42(1):9–14; doi: 10.1002/jhrm.21503
24.
TokerA. A guide to qualitative data analysis in the social sciences. PAUSBED2022(51):319–345; doi: 10.30794/Pausbed.1112493
25.
BraunV, ClarkeV. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol2006;3(2):77–101; doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
26.
LincolnYS, GubaEG. (1985). Naturalisticinquiry. United States of America: Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
27.
BoothRT, McAllisterRK, BittenbinderTM. Table tipping and a near-miss fall after unlocking a surgical table holding a morbidly obese patient. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent).2016;29(2):145–146; doi: 10.1080/08998280.2016.11929392
JamesKM, RavikumarD, MyneniS, et al.Knowledge, attitudes on fall and awareness of hospitalized patient’s fall risk factors among the nurses working in tertiary care hospitals. AIMSMEDS2022;9(2):304–321; doi: 10.3934/medsci.2022013
KingB, PecanacK, KruppA, et al.Impact of fall prevention on nurses and care of fall risk patients. The Gerontologist.2018;58(2):331–340; doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw156
32.
HarrisonR, SharmaA, WaltonM, et al.Responding to adverse patient safety events in Viet Nam. BMC Health Services Research.2019;19(1):677–678; doi: 10.1186/s12913-019-4518-y
33.
GongY. Challenges and opportunities of patient safety event reporting. Stud Health Technol Inform2022;291:133–150; doi: 10.3233/SHTI220014
34.
Aranda‐GallardoM, Morales‐AsencioJM, Canca‐SanchezJC, et al.Circumstances and causes of falls by patients at a Spanish acute care hospital. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 2014;20(5):631–637; doi: 10.1111/jep.12187
