Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
� RQ 1: What are the common communication patterns found in
the conversations between nurses, physicians, technologists
and non-clinical professionals?
� RQ 2: What are the relations between these patterns and a
culture of safety?
In asking these questions there is an assumption that there
are specific patterns found in the communication among team
members in the operating room. The patterns lead to a reflection of
the types of relationships that abound between team members, how
these communication patterns and relationships develop, and
provide insight into the communicative environment, and is the
communication conducive to providing safe patient care, and thus
the creation of a culture of safety?
Study Design
This is a qualitative study based in the concepts of
ethnography. I use the term ethnography in the traditional sense of
understanding the environment from the natives’ perspectives,
micro ethnography as this is a small group within the larger culture
of healthcare, and critical ethnography as there are suppressed
voices on the OR team within the medical hierarchy. So, to begin to
define the operating room environment, I used my knowledge as a
20 year native in the operating room, and to define the analysis I
used the narratives from the OR team participants.
Study Site
The setting for the research was Banner Thunderbird Medical
Center (BMTC) which is an acute healthcare facility in the
southwest, U.S. BMTC was chosen for the research site because the
medical center is embarking on creating a model for communication
for the purpose of further developing a culture of safety for
improved patient care delivery. Banner has been developing
concepts to standardize language related to team communication
and specific patient populations. My sense is that to understand how
to develop a new consistency within language and communication,
first we as a healthcare delivery team have to begin to understand
the current social construction of our communication patterns.
The Study Process
To begin the process, IRB approval was obtained from both
the Fielding Graduate University and Banner Healthcare. Next,
subjects were recruited from the operating room staff of nurses,
technologists and nonclinical pesonnel and also surgeons and
anesthesiologists on staff at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center.
Participation was strictly voluntary and the consent was obtained in
person.
Using a structured interview protocol developed by the
researcher, healthcare professionals were interviewed over a two
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