Exploring the surgical residents’ experience of teaching and learning process in the operating room: A grounded theory study

Despite the development of valuable teaching methods and assessment tools in the field of surgery education, yet unpreparedness for independence practice by surgical residents remains a problem in most of the countries.

This study aims to explain the surgical residents’ experience of the teaching and learning process in the operating rooms in Iran.

This study is a qualitative research that was done from May 2019 to June 2020 in Tehran and eight other cities in Iran. The selected methodology was constructivist grounded theory. The study setting was 11 teaching hospitals. Data were collected through 36 in‑depth interviews and 132 h of observation. Participants were selected initially by purposive sampling and then by theoretical sampling for covering gaps and completing categories.

Findings showed that the confused educational system was the main concern of the residents’ experience of the teaching and learning process in the operating room. This concern is investigated by dividing into four subcategories: Education in the shadow of treatment, inefficient education, patient safety versus trusting residents for independent practice, and unstructured assessment.

Based on residents’ experience about challenges such as inefficient education, the influence of patient safety versus trusting residents for independent practice, and unstructured assessment, the surgical residents’ education in the operating rooms needs to revise.