Technostress in a Multi-Platform Robotic Surgery Environment: A Phenomenological Study of Operating Room Nurses' Lived Experiences in China

Abstract To explore the lived experiences of technostress among operating room nurses working in a multi-platform robotic surgery environment in China. A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Wuhan between March and June 2026. Eighteen operating room nurses with robotic surgery experience were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analysed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method with MAXQDA 24. Four themes and twelve sub-themes were identified: system integration and cognitive adaptation across multiple platforms; physical layout, hardware adaptation, and environmental compatibility; digital ecosystem evolution and professional boundary shifts; and professional role evolution and institutional support mechanisms. Participants described sustained cognitive and operational demands arising from platform switching, differences in hardware and interface design, repeated software updates, remote surgery requirements, and expanding technical responsibilities. These experiences reflected multiple dimensions of technostress, including techno-overload, techno-complexity, techno-uncertainty, techno-invasion, and techno-insecurity. Technostress in multi-platform robotic surgery is therefore shaped not only by technological complexity, but also by the continuous need to adapt across systems and by insufficient platform-specific organisational support. Targeted training and stronger technical and organisational support may help nurses adapt to increasingly complex robotic surgery environments.