Determination of difficulties, faced by operating room personnel during the pandemic period

This study was conceived as a work in the form of a prospective definition. It was condueted determine the difficulties, faced by operating room personnel during the pandemic period and by doing so, put forth the solution proposals with relation to the same. The scope of the study consisted of the surgeons, assistant surgeons, anesthesiologists, assistant anesthesiologists, operating room nurses and anesthesia technicians (n:304) working at the operating room section of Zonguldak by and between May 2021 and January 2022. The surgeons constituted 37,3 % (n:87) of the operating room personnel having participated in our study, and anesthesia workers, 37,3 % (n:87) and nurses, however, 26,6 % (n: 62). It was found that the operating room personnel faced difficulties such as physical difficulty scores above the medium level of X:48,29 ± 7,74; [t: 90,283; p<0,001]; and chemical difficulty the medium level of X:13,42 ± 3,05; [t: 54,641; p<0,001]; and biological difficulty medium level of X:7,51 ± 2,18; [t: 35,059; p<0,001]; and general psychology among the psychosocial difficulty score above the medium level of X: 26,70 ± 5,32; [t: 69, 339; p<0,001];social relationships the high level of X: 23,47 ± 3,99; [t: 80,068; p<0,001]. It was found between the educational levels, professional and chronic diseases and physical difficulties; between the gender, educational level and chemical difficulties; between the gender, educational level and biological difficulties; between the gender, groups of the ages of 25-34 and above 45, level of educational, having the vaccination of COVID-19 and general psychological difficulties; and gender and social difficulties of the personnel working at the operating room(s) (p<0,001). A positive-oriented relationship of the staff working in the operating room(s) was found at weak (poor) level between the physical, chemical and biological difficulties between (p<0,001). In conclusion, it was determined that the operating personnels had phsical, chemical, biological, general psychological difficulties at medium level and social difficulties in high level such as the lack of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), increase in workloads and working hours, insufficient numbers of working personnel, necessity to make overtime works, exposure to the COVID-19, fear of inclusion in the quarantine, and in the meantime, the fear of carrying virus to their family and beloved ones, difficulty in communication and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and etc. KEYWORDS: COVID-19, Pandemic, Operating room personnel, Safety of the working personnel