The opportunities and obstacles nurses have in carrying out their work-A case study in an operating department in Sweden

The study reveals the importance of a functioning physical work environment including storage, technical equipment supplies, and the positioning of technical equipment in operating rooms, in order for registered specialist and assistant nurses to perform their tasks well. Due to goal incongruence and performance obstacles, the nurses were often unable to reach their daily goals. Involving registered specialist nurses in the process of planning of the surgery schedule could facilitate their work to better match the prerequisites in the physical work environment and among available staff. In order for the Operating Department Goal Document to guide work, goals must be transformed into understandable, realistic, applicable and evaluable aims, and incorporated into daily work.