The use of a structured handover tool in danish intraoperative settings: insights from OR-nurses

Objectives This study explored how operating room (OR) nurses make sense of and engage with a structured intraoperative handover tool, and how this tool shapes understanding, practice and relational dynamics during ongoing surgery. The aim was to illuminate how meaning, professional judgement and collaborative orientation unfold in the specialised setting of the operating theatre. Methods A hermeneutic qualitative design informed by Gadamer’s philosophy of understanding was applied. Fourteen OR-nurses participated in narrative interviews centred on lived, situated experiences of intraoperative handover. Narrative interviewing supported context‑rich accounts shaped by participants’ interpretative priorities. Data were generated and interpreted through Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, with emphasis on meaning‑making and interpretative depth. Results The analysis illuminated how the tool supported OR-nurses in keeping the patient present and maintaining continuity in fast‑paced and technically demanding work. Nurses also negotiated the interplay between intuitive, experience‑based practice and the structure introduced by the tool, which could amplify professional voice while challenging norms. The tool helped distribute responsibility, reducing the sense of carrying ethical and clinical accountability alone under organisational pressure. These patterns revealed how ethical orientation, professional identity and team relations were shaped through everyday engagement with the tool. Conclusion The structured intraoperative handover tool acted as a meaning‑ and practice‑shaping element within intraoperative care. Rather than functioning solely as a technical aid, it influenced ethical awareness, professional identity and collaborative dynamics. This study highlights that structured tools must be aligned with local culture, workflow and professional judgement to support attuned and context‑sensitive intraoperative practice.