Undertaking the surgical count: An observational study

Objective: To systematically measure and describe perioperative nurses’ surgical count practices using the Surgical Count Observational Tool, to measure conformity with standardised processes and identify barriers and enablers influencing nurses’ practices. Sample and setting: A large public ter...

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Main Authors: Victoria Warwick, Brigid Gillespie, Anne McMurray, Karen Clark-Burg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Australian College of Perioperative Nurses 2021-06-01
Series:Journal of Perioperative Nursing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal.acorn.org.au/index.php/jpn/article/view/184
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author Victoria Warwick
Brigid Gillespie
Anne McMurray
Karen Clark-Burg
author_facet Victoria Warwick
Brigid Gillespie
Anne McMurray
Karen Clark-Burg
author_sort Victoria Warwick
collection DOAJ
description Objective: To systematically measure and describe perioperative nurses’ surgical count practices using the Surgical Count Observational Tool, to measure conformity with standardised processes and identify barriers and enablers influencing nurses’ practices. Sample and setting: A large public tertiary hospital in Western Australia Methods: The Surgical Count Observational Tool (SCOT) was developed using the Content Validity Index over two Delphi panel rounds and then pilot tested. Individual observations were analysed according to 14 criteria based on the 2016 Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) standard ‘Management of accountable items used during surgery and procedures’1. Count processes were observed over two consecutive weeks across six specialist perioperative teams including nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists and technicians to measure compliance with the ACORN standard. The SCOT and a field diary were then used in an observational study of 83 nursing staff, including 54 circulating nurses and 29 instrument nurses, over a period of 57 hours. Interrater reliability was calculated using Cohen’s kappa. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse observational data. Results: Of the 1268 count practices observed, 759 were compliant with the ACORN standard, representing a 60 per cent compliance rate. Conclusion: Consistency and compliance rates were lower than expected. Patient, case, environmental factors and expectations of surgeons and co-workers were observed to act as barriers to best practice in perioperative nurses undertaking a surgical count, while nurse’s knowledge was observed to act as an enabler.
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spelling doaj-art-bfa0a8b1b674470380ee65bbb533c8002025-08-20T03:13:46ZengAustralian College of Perioperative NursesJournal of Perioperative Nursing2209-10842209-10922021-06-0134310.26550/2209-1092.1089Undertaking the surgical count: An observational studyVictoria Warwick0Brigid Gillespie1Anne McMurray2Karen Clark-Burg3Fiona Stanley Hospital and Fremantle Hospital GroupGriffith University, Gold Coast Hospital & Health ServiceGriffith UniversityUniversity of Notre Dame Objective: To systematically measure and describe perioperative nurses’ surgical count practices using the Surgical Count Observational Tool, to measure conformity with standardised processes and identify barriers and enablers influencing nurses’ practices. Sample and setting: A large public tertiary hospital in Western Australia Methods: The Surgical Count Observational Tool (SCOT) was developed using the Content Validity Index over two Delphi panel rounds and then pilot tested. Individual observations were analysed according to 14 criteria based on the 2016 Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) standard ‘Management of accountable items used during surgery and procedures’1. Count processes were observed over two consecutive weeks across six specialist perioperative teams including nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists and technicians to measure compliance with the ACORN standard. The SCOT and a field diary were then used in an observational study of 83 nursing staff, including 54 circulating nurses and 29 instrument nurses, over a period of 57 hours. Interrater reliability was calculated using Cohen’s kappa. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse observational data. Results: Of the 1268 count practices observed, 759 were compliant with the ACORN standard, representing a 60 per cent compliance rate. Conclusion: Consistency and compliance rates were lower than expected. Patient, case, environmental factors and expectations of surgeons and co-workers were observed to act as barriers to best practice in perioperative nurses undertaking a surgical count, while nurse’s knowledge was observed to act as an enabler. https://journal.acorn.org.au/index.php/jpn/article/view/184surgical countperioperativestructured observationsbest practicepatient safetystandard
spellingShingle Victoria Warwick
Brigid Gillespie
Anne McMurray
Karen Clark-Burg
Undertaking the surgical count: An observational study
Journal of Perioperative Nursing
surgical count
perioperative
structured observations
best practice
patient safety
standard
title Undertaking the surgical count: An observational study
title_full Undertaking the surgical count: An observational study
title_fullStr Undertaking the surgical count: An observational study
title_full_unstemmed Undertaking the surgical count: An observational study
title_short Undertaking the surgical count: An observational study
title_sort undertaking the surgical count an observational study
topic surgical count
perioperative
structured observations
best practice
patient safety
standard
url https://journal.acorn.org.au/index.php/jpn/article/view/184
work_keys_str_mv AT victoriawarwick undertakingthesurgicalcountanobservationalstudy
AT brigidgillespie undertakingthesurgicalcountanobservationalstudy
AT annemcmurray undertakingthesurgicalcountanobservationalstudy
AT karenclarkburg undertakingthesurgicalcountanobservationalstudy