Job Description

The Surgical Assistant possesses and demonstrates competencies related to the preoperative and intraoperative aspects of care. The Assistant is a team member who participates with an interdisciplinary team of clerical, ancillary technical staff, nurses, technicians, anesthesiologists, physicians/surgeons to provide safe and effective care on any type of surgical procedure, as directed. Works a scheduled shift, but also takes call after regularly scheduled hours with a 30-minute response time. Demonstrates a commitment to the mission of Swedish Hospital and demonstrates a service orientation and adheres to all responsibilities and standards of the Hospital. Serves as first or second assistant in designated surgical procedures under the direct supervision of the operating surgeon / physician; handles all variety of tissue appropriately to reduce potential for injury or compromised blood supply; uses surgical instruments appropriately, employs principles of safe tissue handling; provides exposure to operative site; provides and maintains hemostasis and performs wound closure; demonstrates advanced knowledge of normal and pathological anatomy and physiology. Safely positions the patients for the surgical procedure and assists with transport to and from the operative suite. Assists surgeon in identifying patient and staff safety hazards (such as identifying structures that should not be ligated, break in surgical technique, exposed sharps, etc.). Surgical prepping and draping of patients for the surgical procedure. Urinary catheter placement. Placement of pneumatic tourniquet. Prepare ACL graft as directed by the surgeon. Provides exposure of the operative site by the appropriate use of retractors, by placing and moving the retractors when necessary, with awareness to anatomical structures. Manipulates equipment and instruments to enhance the visual field (e.g. steering and focusing of laparoscopic cameras to aim at the surgical field). Suctions and sponges to maintain a dry surgical field resulting in an optimal visualization of the surgical field. Provides counter-traction of tissue utilizing various instruments (e.g. retractors and forceps). Assists with maintaining hemostasis to reduce potential for fluid volume deficits by clamping / ligating vessels, using electrocautery to tissue, applying manual direct pressure, assisting with use of pharmaceutical agents (e.g. topical thrombin) and other means as directed by the surgeon / physician. Assist in placement and suturing of surgical drains. Ties and cuts sutures. Skillfully sutures all varieties of tissues / tissue planes with appropriate suture materials and suturing techniques. Assists in closure of wound or independently closes wound under the direction of the surgeon. Assists and independently applies dressing and tape at the end of the surgical procedure using proper aseptic / sterile techniques. Assists with CPR of patient during cardiac arrest. Must be able to gown and glove self, using open or closed gloving technique. Assists room staff by ensuring equipment for the case has been gathered and is in place using the case card. Duties as directed by nurse manager or circulating nurse during the perioperative period. Assumes on-call responsibilities as assigned. Must have a least 1 year of Operating Room experience as a Surgical Assistant or RNFA. Must be licensed to practice as a Surgical Assistant in Illinois. CPR Certification required. Must be certified as one of the following through their respective certifying bodies: CSA, SA-C, CST/CFA, or RNFA. First Assistant Certification preferred in one's own discipline (i.e. RNFA, CST/CFA, SA). Must have one of the following: Graduate of Accredited Medical School, Foreign Medical Graduate eligible to take the ECFMG examination, Graduate of an Accredited Surgical Assistant Program, Bachelor’s Degree from Accredited Nursing Program, Graduate from Surgical Tech Program.

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