Research in mission-critical professions, including emergency medicine and surgery, has shown that stress can distort perceptual processes which may degrade performance at critical times. No comparable research has been completed for nurses and other staff in the operating theatre.

This study surveyed the frequency of 10 common stress-related perceptual distortions of 165 operating theatre personnel during surgical emergencies.

Results indicated that operating room staff experienced at least one of the 10 possible perceptual distortions that may inhibit effective response 16% to 76% of the time in critical situations.

Perceptual distortions under stress are frequent in operating theatre personnel and suggest the need for awareness of these reactions, as well as the development of training in the psychological performance skills that can facilitate optimal performance, especially in emergency situations.