Will “Surgical 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)
- Surgery Technician
- Operating Room Technician
- Operating Room Assistant
- First Assistant
- Assistant-at-Surgery
Tasks for “Surgical Assistant”
- Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature.
- Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
- Assist in volume replacement or autotransfusion techniques.
- Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins.
- Assist in applying casts, splints, braces, or similar devices.
- 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.
- Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
- Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.
- Operate sterilizing devices.
- Postoperatively inject a subcutaneous local anesthetic agent to reduce pain.
- Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
- 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.
- Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.
- Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
- Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
- Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
- Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
- Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems.
- Insert or remove urinary bladder catheters.
- Monitor patient intra-operative status, including patient position, vital signs, or volume and color of blood.
- Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies.
- Remove patient hair or disinfect incision sites to prepare patient for surgery.
- Transport patients to operating room.
- Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
- Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications.
- Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
Related Technology & Tools
- Hemostat clamps
- Sterile drapes
- Body stabilizers
- Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG lasers
- Surgical dermatomes
- Laptop computers
- Fiberoptic endoscopes
- Mayo stands
- Surgical fracture tables
- Surgical protective goggles
- Vascular clamps
- Surgical gloves
- Medical image processing printers
- Cardiac monitoring equipment
- Suction machines
- Blood warming equipment
- Sterile gowns
- Wound drains
- Head stabilizers
- Hypothermia units
- Pagers
- Anesthesia carts
- Urinary catheters
- Endoscopic camera/video systems
- Medical staple kits
- Flash sterilizers
- Suture kits
- Fluid warmers
- Desktop computers
- Eye magnets
- Surgical razors
- Telethermometers
- Powered surgical drills
- Angiocaths
- Nerve stimulators
- Cauterizing equipment
- Surgical robots
- Blanket warmer cabinets
- Surgical retractors
- Ethylene Oxide sterilizers
- Cell savers
- Automated external defibrillators AED
- Specimen collection containers
- Patient transport stretchers
- Argon beam coagulators
- Intravenous IV sets
- Personal computers
- Multi-line telephone systems
- Pneumatic tourniquets
- Heart pacemakers
- Cast cutting saws
- Surgical clamps
- Eye lasers
- Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
- Patient positioning devices
- Subcutaneous injection syringes
- Hospital intercom equipment
- Pressure steam autoclaves
- Surgical scalpels
- C-arm tables
- Laparoscopes
- Surgical masks
- Surgical trocars
- Nursing documentation software
- Surgery workflow communication software
- Microsoft Excel
- Patient tracking software
- MEDITECH software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Patient scheduling software
- Supply documentation software