Frequency of Surgical Errors and Their Causes in Operating Room Students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2024

Introduction: Surgical errors pose significant risks to patient safety, with operating room students being particularly vulnerable due to limited experience. This study aimed to determine the frequency and causes of surgical errors among operating room students at Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2024. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 71 fourth-semester operating room students selected via census sampling. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire adapted from Azarbad et al. (2018), assessing demographic information, error frequency, and contributing factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: In the study of the frequency of errors among the studied students, most medical errors were related to the presence of foreign bodies in the surgical site (3.00 ± 1.014), incorrect counting of surgical sponges (2.96 ± 0.992), and incorrect patient diagnosis (2.94 ± 0.954). The most common causes of errors are a lack of adequate relationships and necessary interactions (2.44 ± 0.806), acting beyond personal discretion (2.41 ± 0.871), and a lack of appropriate relationships between team members (2.38 ± 0.900). Conclusion: A lack of adequate relationships and necessary interactions, along with decisions made beyond personal discretion, can lead to surgical errors. The best way to reduce the rate of errors is through prevention. Therefore, by promoting awareness of the types and causes of surgical errors and taking corrective actions based on these causes, clinical educators should implement the necessary measures to prevent errors during their education, particularly during the clinical education of students.