Safe Surgery Checklist: Nursing Team Knowledge and Challenges

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the perception of nursing staff in surgical centers in two public hospitals in the Federal District, regarding the importance and benefits of the safe surgery checklist, the training received on the subject, as well as the safety and difficulties with the use of the instrument. Method: Descriptive, exploratory study with a quantitative approach. Data collection was performed using a Likert scale questionnaire, applied in January 2018, totaling 46 questionnaires. Results: About 78.3% (n = 36) of the nursing staff agree on the importance of the checklist and its benefits in terms of patient safety and decrease in the surgical site infection rate (SSI), despite some reports of disagreement on the decrease in SSI (17.4%; n = 8). However, some professionals agree that they are unable to use it (60.9%; n = 28) and feel insecure or have difficulty with the checklist (52.2%, n = 24). Conclusion: This study allowed us to identify a lack of clear understanding about the benefits of the checklist and the lack of training for its use, which may explain the insecurity and difficulties identified in the research.