Factors Influencing Intraoperative Waiting Time According to the Experience of Iranian Families

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing family members' experience of waiting for patients’ surgery.DesignA qualitative design using content analysis approach was used.MethodsThe study took place at a university medical center hospital in an urban area of Iran. After using a purposive sampling method for the selection of participants, semistructured interviews and field notes were held for data collection.FindingsThe experience of 16 Iranian family members who were waiting for their patient's surgery to be finished was analyzed. Data analysis led to the development of three main themes: “family member-related factors,” “patient-related factors,” and “organization-related factors.”ConclusionsThe results revealed some factors in real context that can help health care professionals, especially nurses, to get a better understanding of the situation and improve quality of care. In addition, understanding these factors will contribute to the body of knowledge in nursing.