Implications of cancellation of surgery in a surgery department: a descriptive-exploratory study

This descriptive-exploratory study aimed to identify the implications of cancellations of surgeries for the working process of nurses in a surgery department at a University Hospital. Data were collected from the surgeries′ communications in the period of a month; and by the application of a questionnaire to eight Nurses of the sector. Analysis of the relative and absolute frequencies of the variables was made, and the qualitative data was treated with the technique of thematic analysis. The results showed that among 872 programmed surgeries, 214 have been cancelled, and 123 of them have been replaced. The implications caused by these cancellations are referred to costs, interference in the nursing working process and to the emotional aspects of the patients. The authors conclude that with the cancellations of the surgeries nurses face difficulties in their working process, and also they are who assume the consequences of them.