Determining the relationship between organizational stress levels of the surgical team and patient safety attitudes

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the organizational stress levels of surgical team and the patient safety attitudes. Method: The sample of the study conducted by using descriptive and correlational research method consists of 164 people (38 surgeons, 32 anesthetists, 46 nurses, 48 anesthesia technician/operating room assistant personnel) who have been working in the operating room for 3 months or more and accepted to participate in the study. The research data was collected with "Individual Identification Form", "Organizational Stress Scale" and "The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire-Operating Room Version (SAQ-OR Version)". Results: The most significant factor causing organizational stress in surgical team was found to be financial income and related stress resources (x̄=4.17), and the most significant factor affecting the patient safety attitudes was identified as teamwork climate (x̄=65.05). Based on the positions of the surgical team, sub-scale mean points of stress resources regarding the nature of the job in the surgeons and the stress resources related to the financial income in the nurses were found to be higher than the "SAQ-OR Version" total points and mean points in the sub-scales of perceptions of management, working conditions, stress recognition in the anesthesia technician/operating room assistant personnel (p<0.001). A statistically significant, negative, weak correlation was detected between "Organizational Stress Scale" and "SAQ-OR Version" (r=-0.455, p<0.001). Conclusion: This study identified that the patient safety attitudes were negatively affected with the increasing levels of organizational stress of the surgical team. It is recommended to create work environments decreasing the organizational stress to increase the patient safety attitudes of the surgical team. Key words: operating room, surgical team, organizational stress, patient safety