Will “First Assistant” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
Unknown Chance of Automation
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Job Description
Assist surgeons during surgery by performing duties such as tissue retraction, insertion of tubes and intravenous lines, or closure of surgical wounds. Perform preoperative and postoperative duties to facilitate patient care.
Job Details
- The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 29-2099.07
☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Surgical Assistants”.
Also Known As…
- Surgical Assistants
- Surgical Technician (Surgical Tech)
- Surgical Scrub Technician (Surgical Scrub Tech)
- Surgical First Assistant
- Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA)
- Gastrointestinal Technician (GI Technician)
- Certified Surgical Technician
- Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA)
- Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA)
- Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA)
- Certified First Assistant (CFA)
- Surgical Services Assistant
- Surgical Assistant-Certified (SA-C)
- Surgical Assistant
- Surgery Technician
- Operating Room Technician
- Operating Room Assistant
- Assistant-at-Surgery
Tasks for “First Assistant”
- Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment.
- Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins.
- Discuss with surgeon the nature of the surgical procedure, including operative consent, methods of operative exposure, diagnostic or laboratory data, or patient-advanced directives or other needs.
- Postoperatively inject a subcutaneous local anesthetic agent to reduce pain.
- Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
- Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
- Insert or remove urinary bladder catheters.
- Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems.
- Transport patients to operating room.
- Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- Remove patient hair or disinfect incision sites to prepare patient for surgery.
- Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
- Assist in applying casts, splints, braces, or similar devices.
- Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature.
- Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications.
- Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
- Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
- Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
- Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
- Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.
- Operate sterilizing devices.
- Assist in volume replacement or autotransfusion techniques.
- Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
- Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.
- Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies.
- Monitor patient intra-operative status, including patient position, vital signs, or volume and color of blood.
- Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
Related Technology & Tools
- Flash sterilizers
- Mayo stands
- Specimen collection containers
- Hospital intercom equipment
- Head stabilizers
- Cast cutting saws
- Surgical razors
- Pagers
- Blood warming equipment
- Eye lasers
- Suture kits
- Medical image processing printers
- Surgical scalpels
- Intravenous IV sets
- C-arm tables
- Surgical clamps
- Anesthesia carts
- Ethylene Oxide sterilizers
- Cardiac monitoring equipment
- Body stabilizers
- Urinary catheters
- Surgical retractors
- Nerve stimulators
- Argon beam coagulators
- Telethermometers
- Cauterizing equipment
- Hemostat clamps
- Blanket warmer cabinets
- Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
- Powered surgical drills
- Surgical masks
- Personal computers
- Patient transport stretchers
- Fiberoptic endoscopes
- Wound drains
- Heart pacemakers
- Surgical trocars
- Desktop computers
- Eye magnets
- Medical staple kits
- Surgical dermatomes
- Sterile drapes
- Laparoscopes
- Angiocaths
- Surgical fracture tables
- Laptop computers
- Sterile gowns
- Hypothermia units
- Subcutaneous injection syringes
- Pressure steam autoclaves
- Vascular clamps
- Fluid warmers
- Endoscopic camera/video systems
- Suction machines
- Surgical protective goggles
- Multi-line telephone systems
- Surgical gloves
- Surgical robots
- Automated external defibrillators AED
- Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG lasers
- Patient positioning devices
- Pneumatic tourniquets
- Cell savers
- Microsoft Excel
- Patient scheduling software
- Patient tracking software
- Nursing documentation software
- Surgery workflow communication software
- MEDITECH software
- Supply documentation software
- Electronic medical record EMR software