Pilot Study on the Feasibility of Implementation of the Role of Operating Room Manager in Greek Hospitals

Introduction: While in many countries the position of operating room manager (OR manager) is considered necessary, the need for integration of this position into the organizational system of Greek operating rooms is not yet well understood and therefore no measurement tool has been developed related to this role. Aim: To investigate the feasibility of implementation of the role of OR manager into Greek hospitals. Method: A questionnaire was created that was addressed to the staff of Greek ORs without an OR manager. The study was conducted with a sample of 53 OR nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists. The study was approved by the Board and the Scientific Committees of the two participating hospitals. Results: The internal consistency of the questionnaire estimated with Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.7 in both groups of questions. Of the 53 respondents, 23 (43.4%) replied that the OR manager should be the head nurse. Half of the respondents were unhappy with the current management policies, but many believed that the implementation of an OR manager would help: better management (60.4%), efficiency (50.9%), functioning (54.7%) and interdisciplinary collaboration (43.4%). Conclusions: The questionnaire appears to explore well the feasibility of implementing the role of OR manager in Greek hospitals. The attitude of the perioperative team towards the possibility of having one person with the exclusive task of OR management was positive, with a view to achieving better collaboration, efficiency and quality of perioperative care. Further exploration is necessary to confirm the findings of this pilot study.