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Time as a Catalyst for Tension in Nurse‐Surgeon Communication
Author(s) -
Espin Sherry L.,
Lingard Lorelei A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/s0001-2092(06)61766-3
Subject(s) - cohesion (chemistry) , surgical team , theme (computing) , nursing , psychology , perioperative nursing , medicine , perioperative , computer science , surgery , chemistry , organic chemistry , operating system
Carefully studying communication patterns between nurses and surgeons questions popular stereotypes about OR discourse and expands educators' understanding of the factors that motivate team communication, patterns that are habitual among team members, and issues that act as catalysis for tension. This study examines the nature of communication between perioperative nurses and surgeons and identifies patterns and sites of tension. Researchers observed 128 hours of interaction between nurses and surgeons in four surgical divisions at one teaching hospital in Ontario, Canada. Field notes were read, coded, and analyzed independently. Results showed that higher tension in nurse‐surgeon communication clusters around particular themes, the most dominant of which is time. Analysis of this theme reveals communication strategies that allow surgeons and nurses to achieve individual goals and support social cohesion among team members. AORN J 74 (Nov 2001) 672–682.