Abstract
The escalating concern over climate change, intensified by global warming and substantial greenhouse gas emissions, has implicated the healthcare sector, particularly through hospital operations and their operating theatres. Given the critical role of operating rooms in delivering life-saving surgical procedures, which are resource-intensive and contribute considerably to environmental degradation, there is
an urgent need for sustainable practices within these settings.
Aim: The aim of this study was to critically analyse the existing research on nursing practices that contribute towards making operating rooms more environmentally
sustainable. By following the comprehensive seven-step framework proposed by
Dhollande, Taylor, Meyer & Scott, this integrative review collated and examined evidence on strategies that reduced the ecological footprint in surgical services without compromising patient care.
Methodology: The adoption of an integrative review method enabled the synthesis of research findings across various study designs. This offered a holistic view of the nursing-led strategies employed to green operating theatres. Through meticulous
literature search strategies focusing on studies published between 2010 and 2023, this review identified, evaluated and summarised the existing nursing-led evidence on environmentally sustainable practices in operating rooms. Purposive sampling was
employed to select relevant studies, which were subsequently subjected to thematic
analysis to distil the key themes and practices contributing to operating room nursingled greening practices.
Results: The review uncovered a range of evidence-based nursing-led greening practices that contributed to the environmental sustainability in the operating room. These practices are expected to span various aspects of perioperative care, including waste management, energy conservation, and the use of sustainable materials and technologies.
Conclusions: By highlighting evidence-based strategies to reduce the environmental impact of surgical care, this study's key findings can be used to inform policy and...