Quality surgical assisting programs are identified by earning accreditation from the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA), a collaborative effort including Association of Surgical Assistants (ASA), American College of Surgeons (ACS), and Subcommittee on Accreditation for Surgical Assisting (SASA), and by Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).ĬAAHEP is a recognized accreditation agency of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Many employers may look for surgical first assistants who are able to perform well under pressure, work efficiently with attention to detail, and are open to continuously learning about new surgical procedures and techniques.

This role requires you to be on your feet for long periods of time during a shift. Surgical first assistants work daytime or evening shifts and can be on call for overnight or weekend periods on a rotating basis. Surgical first assistants most often work in hospital operating rooms, outpatient centers, or specialty clinics. Depending on the institution or hospital, a surgical first assistant may help with a variety of specialty areas including: This role is needed across virtually all types of specialty surgeries. Depending on the facility, specific duties may vary between surgical assistants, surgical technologists, and the surgical nurse. A surgical first assistant is more focused on assisting the surgeon during surgery. A surgical technologist is responsible for surgical instrumentation, management of the sterile field, and preparation of the operating room. While similar, the surgical technologist and surgical first assistant are two distinct roles. The list above is certainly not comprehensive as the role of a surgical first assistant will vary greatly depending on the surgical procedure, specialty area, and type of facility. Collaborating with others to provide continuity of care.Providing postoperative skills in patient care such as applying dressings to surgical wounds, patient transfer and transport, transfer of care, and monitoring for immediate complications.Utilizing appropriate suturing techniques, according to surgeon preference, to close the incision at the end of the procedure.Proficiency in technical skills required during a surgical procedure, including, but not limited to: clamping, cauterizing, suturing, inserting, injecting, manipulating, retracting, cutting, and ligating tissue as necessary.Having knowledge of and using all open, laparoscopic, and robotic equipment necessary for a procedure.Providing intraoperative skills such as visualization, trocar insertion, injection of local anesthetics, hemostasis, tissue handling, placement and securing of wound drains, and closure of body planes.Positioning the patient to provide the necessary exposure for the procedure, as well as the surgeon preference.Communicating the surgeon’s preferences and specific patient needs to surgical team.Common roles and responsibilities of a surgical first assistant include: They have responsibilities before, during, and after surgical procedures. They work very closely with patients of all ages. Surgical first assistants interact with surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other health care staff. The surgical assistant performs these tasks under the direction and supervision of the surgeon and in accordance with hospital policy and appropriate laws and regulations. They are advanced allied health practitioners who provide aid in exposure, wound closure, bleeding control, and other intraoperative technical functions that help the surgeon carry out a safe operation with optimal results for the surgical patient. They anticipate the needs of the surgical team and during an operation, assist the surgeon with tasks such as selecting equipment, holding open incisions, stopping bleeding, closing the incision, among many other technical tasks. A surgical first assistant, also referred to as a surgical assistant or simply a first assist, works in the operating room during a surgical procedure.

First assistant surgical