Balancing time and teamwork – Nurse anesthetists’ experiences of ensuring patient safety: A qualitative interview study

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experiences of registered nurse anesthetists regarding the factors that influence their ability to ensure patient safety during perioperative care in an elective surgery setting. Design: Exploratory qualitative design. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The inclusion criteria were as follows: working as a nurse anesthetist for more than two years, currently providing anesthesia care for elective surgical procedures, and being fluent in Swedish. The data were analyzed using content analysis, as described by Elo and Kyngäs. Findings: Fourteen nurse anesthetists aged 32–65 years participated. Three main categories were identified: sense of responsibility, collaborative culture , and navigating organizational structures and demands . These categories reflect the importance of team cohesion, challenges related to speaking up about patient safety issues, and management of tight surgery schedules. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of assessing patient safety culture among nurse anesthetists. They show how organizational support, individual strategies, and teamwork interact to ensure safe and effective perioperative care. Furthermore, the results provide insights into how workload influences the capacity to deliver anesthetic care without compromising patient safety.