Subjective Assessment of Adherence to Ethical Principles
in the Operating Room: A Qualitative Study

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https://doi.org/10.54937/zs.2026.18.1.9-15

Autori/ Authors: Ondřej Podeszwa       Adéla Urbanová      Kateřina Horáčková   

In: Zdravotnícke štúdie

ISSN: 1337-723X

Ročník/ Volume: XVIII

Číslo/ Issue: 1

Strany/ Page Range: 9-15

Rok vydania/ Publication Year: 2026

Jazyk/ Language: Czech

Vydavateľ/ Publisher: VERBUM – vydavateľstvo Katolíckej univerzity v Ružomberku

Abstrakt/ Abstract: 
Cieľ/ Aim: This study focuses on the subjective assessment of adherence to ethical principles in the operating room from the perspective of healthcare personnel.
Materiál a metodika/ Material and Methods: A qualitative research design based on content analysis principles was conducted between 2023 and 2024. Using the snowball sampling method, 17 operating room staff members from various surgical specialties were recruited. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis.
Výsedky/ Results: Staff members declared knowledge of and adherence to ethical principles, particularly dignity, empathy, and appropriate communication, and emphasized their importance for patient care and teamwork. However, in stressful and crisis situations, ethical principles were often pushed into the background in favour of other priorities, particularly life-saving interventions. Key themes included the impact of stress on communication, the presence of gender stereotypes, and the variable quality of interpersonal relationships within the team. Instances of inappropriate patient behaviour towards staff were also reported.
Záver/ Conclusion: Adherence to ethical principles in the operating room is strongly influenced by situational context, stress levels, and team dynamics. The findings highlight the need for systematic support of staff through psychohygiene, ethics education, and strengthening of teamwork.

Kľúčové slová/ Keywords:  Dignity. Ethical principles. Operating room. Perioperative care. Stress.

Citácia/ How to cite:

PODESZWA, Ondřej; URBANOVÁ, Adéla a HORÁČKOVÁ, Kateřina, 2026. Subjektivní hodnocení dodržování etických zásad na operačním sále: kvalitativní studie. Zdravotnícke štúdie. Online. Roč. XVIII, č. 1, s. 9-15. ISSN 1337-723X. Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.54937/zs.2026.18.1.9-15

Toto dielo je publikované pod/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.