Surgical First Assistant

The Surgical First Assist (SFA) is a highly skilled, clinically proficient professional who works directly under the supervision of the attending surgeon to provide advanced intraoperative support. This role extends beyond traditional assisting — it requires a forward-thinking mindset focused on innovation, efficiency, and collaboration across the surgical continuum. The SFA serves as a key resource in developing and implementing process improvements, integrating new technologies, and advancing surgical outcomes.

Clinical skills performed under direct supervision of the surgeon include but are not limited to: incision, dissection, clamping, cutting, tying, providing hemostasis, insertion of laparoscopic ports, and closure of body planes & skin.

The SFA collaborates closely with all surgical team members to facilitate throughput and optimize safe patient care. They may function in the scrub role for a variety of surgical procedures as needed.

• Clinical Excellence & Intraoperative Support: Performs all functions of a Surgical First Assist including exposure, hemostasis, suturing, tissue handling, and wound closure under the surgeon’s direction; anticipates surgeon needs throughout each procedure, ensuring instruments, supplies, and devices are ready for immediate use; maintains sterile technique and ensures patient safety and positioning integrity at all times; proactively identifies opportunities to improve case efficiency and instrument utilization.
• Innovation & Process Improvement: Collaborates with surgical leadership and vendors to trial new technologies, instruments, and minimally invasive techniques; participates in multidisciplinary performance improvement initiatives, including reduction of turnover times, standardization of instrument trays, and cost-efficiency efforts; contributes to digital documentation workflows, assisting in implementing systems that optimize case tracking, inventory, and data analytics; provides feedback on new devices or methods that enhance precision and patient outcomes;
  
  serves as a clinical mentor to surgical technologists, residents, and nursing staff; participates in orientation and education of new team members and cross-trained staff; engages in continuing education to stay current on advancements in surgical techniques and perioperative best practices; promotes a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and patient-centered innovation; partners with surgeons, anesthesia providers, and perioperative staff to coordinate and execute high-quality surgical care;
  
  assists in the preparation for surgical cases, assuring that supplies, equipment and instruments are available and in working order prior to the start of each case.
• Team Coordination & Patient Care: Assists the surgical team in the transport, transfer and positioning of patients in the operating room; participates in pre-op briefings and post-op debriefings to evaluate case flow and identify improvement opportunities; assists in maintaining supply and equipment inventory; communicates proactively and professionally across the care team to ensure seamless patient experiences; on-call duties as scheduled; other duties as assigned.

• Qualifications: Certified Surgical First Assist (CSFA), Certified First Assistant (CFA), or Physician Assistant (PA-C) / RNFA credential required; minimum 3–5 years of surgical experience; advanced proficiency in multiple specialties preferred (e.g., Orthopedic, Neurosurgery, General, or Robotics); strong understanding of sterile technique, surgical instrumentation, and anatomy; demonstrated ability to integrate technology and process improvement into practice; excellent problem-solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Preferred Attributes: Passionate about surgical innovation, data-driven improvement, and interdisciplinary collaboration; actively participates in surgical committees, vendor evaluations, or technology trials; forward-thinking, self-directed, and capable of balancing clinical precision with creativity; experienced in EMR documentation, efficiency dashboards, or digital workflow…