Abstract:
The purposes of this qualitative study were to explore meanings and working experiences of operating room nurses in a private hospital. The method of the study was Husserl phenomenological approach. The 20 key informants of the operating room nurses were selected by using purposive sampling technique. The sample must having more than 2 years of the experiences and also willing to participate in the study. The in- depth interview with tape - record was performed to collect data. The interview ended after data saturation. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by using content analysis of Colizzi.
The results of the research revealed two themes in consisting of meaning and the working experiences of operating room nurses in a private hospital. The first issue consisted of 7 sub themes; working as several roles, a service giving main attention to a doctor, a service giving main attention to patients, hard working, effect of work, retention in work, and risk at work. The second issue composed of 5 sub themes; changeable life style, self learning in work, characteristic of nurse in operating room, communication skill, and differences in society.
The findings of the meanings and experiences could lead to the better management system in operating room. Risk management and the implications of the findings will improve efficiency of the potential performance of nurses in operating room in the private hospital.