Self-evaluation of nursing perceived skills in the operating room: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Background & aim Nurses’ self-perceptions of competence influence clinical performance, teamwork, and job satisfaction, making regular monitoring vital for maintaining high standards in perioperative care. The aim of this study was to assess self-perceived technical and non-technical competencies among operating room (OR) nurses. Materials & methods This is a cross-sectional study involving 250 OR nurses from 18 Italian hospital sites, using the Perceived Perioperative Competence Scale-Revised (PPCS-R). Results All mean domain scores exceeded the competence threshold of 2.5. Highest ratings were reported in ”Foundational Knowledge and Skills”, ”Empathy”, and ”Collaboration”, while ”Leadership” and ”Professional Development” scored lowest. Multivariate analysis showed that nurses >10 years of experience and those in defined clinical roles (e.g. scrub, anesthetic) reported significantly higher competence, especially in technical domains. Experience improved leadership perception. Educational level had limited impact, though postgraduate training was linked to specific leadership skills. Academic qualifications did not influence attitudes toward professional development. Empathy emerged as a stable trait. Conclusion Role specialization and experience are key drivers of perceived competence. Present findings support regular self-assessment, targeted education initiatives and ongoing monitoring to improve perioperative nursing practice.