Shifting Skills in Robot-Assisted Surgery: Case Study With Interdisciplinary Perspectives for Human Factors and Career Research.

BACKGROUND: The introduction of STARA (smart technology, AI, robotics, and algorithms) changes work processes and the application of skills, depending on specific task design within a given context. OBJECTIVE: From a Human Factors perspective, this study uses empirical data from a case study to demonstrate how different task designs influence the application of theater nurses' skills during robot-assisted surgeries. Moreover, from a transdisciplinary perspective, the data elucidate that STARA-related task design extends beyond Human Factors' perspectives, encompassing cross-level effects between task configurations of different surgical units and individual evaluations regarding career motives. Finally, the study aims to integrate interdisciplinary perspectives by outlining theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for both STARA-related Human Factors task design in health care and Sustainable Career Research. METHODS: Empirical data derive from an embedded single-case study design within a hospital. The case study illustrates field experiences from a focus group interview (n=5) and postsurgery surveys (n=36) on Human Factors-related variables (objective task variety, perceived workload, perceived application of professional skills), and variables from Career Research (perceived career sustainability, growth needs). RESULTS: Higher task variety and skill application during surgeries correlate with long-term career sustainability evaluations. Moreover, career-related growth needs relate to interindividual differences in STARA task evaluations. Interdisciplinary perspectives with respect to theoretical models, practical implications, and methodological challenges are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of STARA (smart technology, AI, robotics, and algorithms) changes work processes and the application of skills, depending on specific task design within a given context.