In 2007, the World Health Organization initiated the Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) as part of an initiative to improve patient outcomes. After publication of the SSC, perioperative nurses identified challenges with implementing it and questioned its effectiveness. We desired to summarize the state of the science on the effectiveness of strategies that perioperative personnel have used to implement and assess the SSC; therefore, we conducted a scoping review. We searched several databases and identified 28 articles that described the three key stages of SSC implementation (ie, before, during, and after). Half of the identified articles addressed intervention strategies and most articles provided strategies for SSC implementation. The literature also indicated that effective implementation occurred when there was adequate planning. Perioperative leaders should work with nurses when implementing the SSC and monitor its use after implementation to verify compliance and help prevent negative patient outcomes.

In 2008, the World Health Organization launched the Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) to reduce the number of adverse events occurring at operating suites. The objective of this study was to explore middle managers’ experiences of patient safety culture, the meanings they attach to this culture, and their perceptions of one of its best-known strategies, the SSC. This study used a qualitative design involving structured interviews with the head of department, quality managers, and nursing supervisors at an operating suite. Eleven middle managers acknowledged that the SSC supports memory and instils accountability. Work overload was highlighted as the main barrier in SSC implementation, while feedback was identified as the main facilitator. We found significant differences in levels of understanding of patient safety culture among different types of middle managers and professions. Key aspects for promoting an effective, long-lasting patient safety culture were also identified.