Perceived Perioperative Competence, Self-Efficacy, and Job Burnout Among Chinese Operating Room Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: To ensure smooth surgical procedures, patient safety, and quality of perioperative care, perceived perioperative competence (PPC) is a daily and urgent requirement for operating room (OR) nurses. Understanding the status of PPC among OR nurses and its associated factors is essential for OR nurses/people in charge/researchers to pinpoint weaknesses and formulate interventions. Therefore, we aim to investigate the status of PPC and its associated factors. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between PPC, self-efficacy, and job burnout among OR nurses. Methods: Tertiary-A hospitals in various districts of Chengdu, China, were recruited using a stratified convenience sampling method. A cross-sectional survey was then administered to OR nurses in the selected hospitals. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, T-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple linear regression analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis. Results: A survey of 640 OR nurses across 18 hospitals (with a 98.00% valid response rate) revealed an average PPC score of 3.66 ± 1.12/124.55 ± 26.54. Marital status, OR specialty education, and age significantly influenced PPC levels (p < 0.05). Self-efficacy was positively correlated with PPC, while job burnout was negatively correlated with PPC. Self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between these two variables. Conclusions: The performances of PPC among Chinese OR nurses were acceptable. Marital status, OR specialty education, and age significantly influenced PPC levels. Self-efficacy fully mediates the relationship between job burnout and PPC.