Development Strategies in Medical Education

Introduction: The increase in medical errors has become a public concern among insurers, providers and health care professionals. Considering that errors occur in the operating room and emergency department, especially during the night shift; therefore, it is very important to study the causes and factors of errors in the operating room and the solutions to deal with them. Method: This study was conducted using a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach, which was used to obtain rich information from 11 members of the medical team active in the operating room complex, including specialists and technicians, who experienced errors. Data collection was done in a targeted manner with the help of semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed by the seven-step method of Claesi.
Result: 22 initial codes were extracted from the total number of interviews as factors and causes of medical errors in the operating room during the night shift, the main themes of which include; Individual and human factors, hardware and technical factors, managerial and organizational factors and team factors. 23 primary extraction codes were extracted as necessary solutions to prevent errors in the night shift of the operating room, the main themes of which include; Empowerment of operating room staff and development of operating room management.
Conclusion: The findings of this research showed that the conditions of the operating room in the night shift can be different from other departments and the day shift, which will increase the incidence of medical errors. The feeling of sleepiness, work pressure, fatigue and stress, insufficient information, lack of motivation and lack of relaxation were the most important human factors for the occurrence of errors in the night shift.