Operating theatre nurses’ experiences in medical emergency response: An integrative literature review

Aims: This study aims to review the experiences of instrument and circulating nurses in responding to intra-operative medical emergencies. Background: The operating theatre is a complex environment where surgical procedures are performed by surgical teams who are often required to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Although most surgeries are uneventful, medical emergencies can occur. Instrument and circulating nurses play pivotal roles in patient safety during the intra-operative phase. However, research into their experiences dealing with medical emergencies is limited, highlighting the need for a better understanding of their perspectives and identifying areas where additional training and support may be required. Design: An integrative review. Methods: We conducted an electronic literature search in Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Science Direct and PubMed databases. Three reviewers independently screened, extracted data and assessed quality, using Joanna Briggs Institute software to facilitate the process. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for reporting. Results: Three studies were included, but they did not explicitly address instrument and circulating nurses’ experiences during intra-operative medical emergencies. Instead, they discussed these nurses’ involvement in such emergencies, emphasising their mental preparation and the importance of effective communication and coordination within the team. The overall team’s experience influenced how medical emergencies were managed. Conclusions: The experiences of instrument and circulating nurses during intraoperative medical emergencies remain underexplored in the literature. While some research examines surgical adverse events, there is a gap in assessing these nurses’ confidence and competence in such events. Non-technical skills are crucial, but the interplay with technical skills remains unexplored.