Outcomes of perioperative nursing practices performed by operating room nurses: a scoping review

Abstract Background The importance of perioperative nursing is increasingly being recognized; however, how operating room nurses contribute to patient outcomes remains underexplored, because nursing roles are often not distinguished. This study aims to map outcomes associated with perioperative nursing practices performed by operating room nurses, focusing on outcome types, measurement methods, and timing of evaluation. This review addresses the question of what outcomes of perioperative nursing practices performed by operating room nurses have been reported. Methods This scoping review follows Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, incorporating refinements by Levac et al., and adheres to the JBI guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and EMBASE, without restrictions on publication year, targeting peer-reviewed English-language articles published up to May 28, 2025, excluding case reports, reviews, and non-peer-reviewed studies. Studies reporting outcomes related to perioperative nursing practices by operating room nurses were included. Data were extracted and descriptively synthesized, with outcomes categorized by perioperative phase. Results Twenty-four studies published between 1991 and 2025 were included, with randomized controlled trials being the most common ( n = 10). Reported outcomes spanned the entire perioperative period. Preoperative outcomes primarily involved psychological indicators, intraoperative outcomes focused on physiological stability, and postoperative outcomes included pain, recovery, complications, patient satisfaction, and quality of life. Outcome definitions, measurement methods, and evaluation time points varied across studies. Overall, the mapped outcomes varied widely across the perioperative phases, highlighting marked heterogeneity and a lack of standardization. Conclusions This scoping review descriptively synthesizes the outcomes used to evaluate perioperative nursing practices performed by operating room nurses across the perioperative phases. Diverse outcomes were reported across studies, reflecting the multifaceted nature of operating room nursing practice. Developing standardized, nursing-specific core outcome sets may improve consistency in future research and support evidence-based practice and education. Review registration This review protocol was prospectively registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR; ID: UMIN000058114; Registration date: June 7, 2025).