The Association between Operating Room Nurses’ Characteristics, Competence, and Missed Nursing Care: A National Survey

Table 1

Sample characteristics.

Characteristics	Sample	n	%
Participant variables
Age in years (M, SD), range	535	46.02 (11.39), 21–75
Sex	539
Female		497	82.6
Male		42	7.0
Primary role	538
Circulating/instrument nurse		304	50.5
Postanaesthetic recovery unit		43	7.1
Anaesthetic nurse		91	15.1
First surgical assistant (RN)		7	1.2
Multiple roles		17	2.8
Management		49	8.1
Educator		27	4.5
Qualifications	533
Undergraduate education		412	77.3
Postgraduate education		121	22.7
OR nurse years of experience (M, SD), range	531	18.59 (11.64), 1–57
<10 years		145	24.1
>10 years		386	64.1
Number of hours worked per week (M, SD), range	520	32.14 (11.78), 0–80
Currently working full-time load (≥35 hrs/wk)		212	35.2
Number of overtime hours worked in the last 3 months (M, SD) range	525	26.40 (33.28), 0–240
Number of shifts missed due to illness, injury, etc. in the last 3 months (M, SD) range	522	2.81 (5.17), 0–40
Intention to leave	527
In the next 6 months		72	12.0
In the next year		98	16.3
No plans to leave		357	59.3
Satisfaction (M, SD) range	547	10.65 (2.83), 3–15
Hospital characteristics
Number of ORs	533	9.75 (7.08), 1–40
<6		224	37.2
>6		309	51.3
Surgery type	540
Outpatient surgery		382	63.5
Inpatient surgery		472	78.4
Adult surgery		490	81.4
Paediatric surgery		360	59.8
Location (state/territory)	528
Australian Capital Territory		10	1.7
Queensland		122	20.3
Northern Territory		4	0.7
New South Wales		132	21.9
Victoria		136	22.6
South Australia		51	8.5
Western Australia		35	5.8
Tasmania		19	3.2
International		19	3.2
Surgical speciality	540
General surgery		466	77.4
Gynaecology		391	65.0
Urology		379	63.0
Orthopaedics		394	65.4
Transplant		60	10.0
Trauma		207	34.4
Burns		41	6.8
Plastics		336	55.8
Ears nose and throat		320	53.2
Dental/oral		296	49.2
Neurosurgery		139	23.1
Ophthalmology		219	36.4
Vascular		217	36.0
Cardiac		100	16.6
Thoracic		124	20.6

Note. M = mean; SD = standard deviation; OR = operating room; RN = registered nurse.