Key result
Delphi study achieves expert consensus on the Swedish translation of SPLINTS categories and elements.
Why the study?
The Scrub Practitioners' List of Intraoperative Non-Technical Skills (SPLINTS) is a behavioural assessment tool that had not yet been translated into Swedish.
A three-round Delphi study successfully produced an initial Swedish translation of the SPLINTS behavioral assessment tool for operating theatre nurses, achieving majority agreement among experts.
May support Swedish SPLINTS use in OR training; leaves open prospective validation of behaviors and clinical impact.
The operating theatre nurse is responsible for advanced perioperative care in complex environments requiring both technical and non-technical skills. Non-technical skills training can improve teamwork and reduce the risk of adverse events. The Scrub Practitioners' List of Intraoperative Non-Technical Skills (SPLINTS) is a behavioural assessment tool for scrub practitioners not yet translated into Swedish. A Swedish version would provide a common conceptual base and strengthen non-technical skills for Swedish operating theatre nurses. The present study therefore aimed to translate the SPLINTS into Swedish, making it useable in a Swedish perioperative context. A three-round Delphi study was conducted to reach consensus for a Swedish translation. A mean rating of eight or higher on a 10-point scale, assessed as agreement among the experts, was reached in the third round. Although consensus level of agreement was not reached for all elements, three rounds resulted in agreement by a majority. Guidance on Conducting and Reporting Delphi Studies (CREDES) was used as reporting guideline. This Delphi study conducted an important first version of a Swedish translation of the SPLINTS, which, however, needs to be followed by validation and psychometrical testing.
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Göransson et al. (2025) studied Perioperative care non-technical skills (n=10). Delphi consensus process for SPLINTS translation was evaluated on Consensus on Swedish translation of SPLINTS categories and elements (defined as mean rating ≥8 on a 10-point scale and ≥80% consensus level of agreement). A three-round Delphi study achieved expert consensus on the Swedish translation of the SPLINTS categories and elements with mean ratings of 8 or higher, though not all example behaviors reached consensus.
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