Experiences of pediatric surgery nurses in ensuring pediatric patient safety in the operating room: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore in depth the experiences of nurses working in pediatric surgery operating rooms regarding the provision of patient safety and to identify factors influencing safety within pediatric perioperative care. DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was conducted. The study group consisted of nurses employed in the pediatric surgery operating room of a public hospital located in the Western Black Sea region of Türkiye. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from the analysis: Perceptions of Patient Safety, Sustaining Patient Safety in the Operating Room, Systemic Vulnerabilities in Patient Safety, and Strategies for Enhancing Patient Safety. Nurses primarily conceptualized patient safety within the framework of sterility, surgical verification, physical protection, and preventive practices. Sterility management, patient identification, surgical counting procedures, surveillance, and device safety were identified as core safety practices. Challenges related to patient transfer processes and structural inadequacies of the operating room environment were recognized as key systemic vulnerabilities threatening safety. Participants proposed improvements focused on optimizing safe transfer procedures, environmental modifications, and restricting unnecessary circulation within the operating room. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses working in pediatric surgery operating rooms perceive patient safety not merely as a technical requirement but as an ethical and professional responsibility. Nevertheless, structural and organizational constraints negatively affect the sustainability of safe care practices. Strengthening pediatric perioperative patient safety requires system-level improvements grounded in nurses' experiential knowledge. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Actively incorporating nurses' perspectives into patient safety decision-making processes may foster a sustainable culture of safety in pediatric surgical care.