Weaving our narrative: perspectives from hijab-wearing learners in the operating room
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36834/aysxvt02Abstract
Background: Hijab-wearing healthcare practitioners and learners endorse that hijab is important to their identity. However, in the operating room (OR), they have reported experiencing negative emotions and lacking personal protective equipment (PPE) for their hijab. Guidelines for PPE for hijabs are institution-specific, and uptake can be inconsistent. As Canadian medical schools diversify, hijab-wearing learners’ (HWLs) unique barriers to OR participation and surgical career planning become increasingly pressing for establishing equity and inclusion in surgical specialties. Our study aims to characterize OR experiences of medical students and residents who trained in Canadian ORs, impacts on career planning, and potential solutions for perceived barriers to participation in the OR and surgical career planning.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten hijab-wearing medical students and residents who trained in Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) ORs. We analyzed the data using an essentialist, experiential, inductive approach where we generated codes and subsequently themes based on the participants’ descriptions of OR experiences. We used Reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA) to consider the surface qualities and the hidden or inferred meanings of participants’ words based on our team members’ subjectivity as minoritized medical learners.
Results: We identified four themes: (1) The lack of OR attire standardization indicated a lack of institutional commitment to inclusivity; (2) There was conflict between identities as medical students and hijab-wearing women, with pressure to fit in by uncomfortably modifying the hijab; (3) Negative experiences related to wearing the hijab in the OR deterred learners from pursuing surgical careers; and (4) Solutions included provision of disposable and reusable hijabs and improved cultural education for OR staff. An infographic on PPE for hijabs should include definitions of hijab and be widely distributed.
Conclusions: Hijab-wearing learners face barriers to participating in the OR. Addressing these challenges requires accessible PPE for hijabs and widespread educational resources to support these learners.
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