Nurses' Views on Patient Privacy in the Operating Room Environment: Phenomenological Research

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the views of nurses working in the operating room regarding patient privacy. Methods: The research is a qualitative study and phenomenological research was used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 nurses working in the operating room unit of a university hospital in Central Anatolia between August and October 2024. The data were analyzed by content analysis method and categorized under the determined themes. Results: When the qualitative data of the study were evaluated, 6 themes and 31 sub-themes were identified under the titles of “Definition of Privacy”, “Private Information”, “Violation of Privacy”, “Protection of Physical Privacy”, “Transfer Process” and “Suggestions on Protection of Privacy”. The study revealed that nurses associate patient privacy with elements such as personal information, the body, and the diagnosis and treatment process. It also indicated that nurses face various challenges in maintaining privacy during patient transfers and surgical preparation. Nurses emphasized that privacy is not only limited to physical privacy, but it is also important to protect personal information. Conclusions: In the study, it was concluded that nurses care about patient privacy, but they cannot provide privacy at the desired level due to challenges such as workload, empathy gaps, teamwork problems and inadequate training. Implications for Clinical Practice: This study fills an important gap in clinical practice by revealing the current situation and challenges regarding the protection of patient privacy in the operating room environment. Violation of patient privacy can carry serious risks in terms of patient safety and ethical standards. The study provides important clinical recommendations to improve patient care quality and safety by emphasizing the need to strengthen ethical training for nurses and other healthcare professionals, to establish structured systems in operating room processes, and to increase communication within the team.