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