Certified Surgical First Assistant

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At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. The largest of the four Duke Health hospitals with 1062 patient beds, it features comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.

The Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) will support the continuity of care for Perioperative patients.

The scope of practice includes preoperative patient care management, intraoperative surgical first assisting, and postoperative patient care management.

The role will help expedite surgical productivity, support the education of surgical residents, 2nd assist where needed, and first assist the Surgeons when surgical Residents are not available.

The CSFA will provide patient care for all ages and provide leadership and direction to the perioperative team where needed.

The CSFA in surgery collaborates with the surgeon and the health care team in performing a safe operation with optimal outcomes for the patient.

The CSFA practices in collaboration with and at the surgeon's direction during the intra- operative experience.

The Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) possesses and demonstrates competencies related to all aspects of perioperative care, including preoperative review of patient history and physical, preoperative tests results, and postoperative transfer of care and monitoring for complications.

The CSFA serves as the first assistant in designated surgical procedures under the direct supervision of the operating surgeon/physician; handles all variety of tissue appropriately to reduce the potential for injury or compromised blood supply; uses surgical instruments properly, employs principles of safe tissue handling:

Provides exposure to the operative site

Provides and maintains hemostasis

Performs wound closure

Demonstrates advanced knowledge of normal and pathological anatomy and physiology

Safely positions patients for the surgical procedure and assists with transport to and from the operative suite

Assists surgeon in identifying patient and staff safety hazards

Surgical prepping and draping of patients for the surgical procedure

Provides exposure of the operative site by the appropriate use of retractors

Manipulates equipment and instruments to enhance the visual 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

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

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 independentlycloses 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

Maintains current knowledge of procedures performed

The Certified Surgical First Assistant may take a scrub role when not needed as a first assistant.

Scope of position does not include dissection down to the area to be repaired, replaced, etc., which is done by the surgeon.

The CSFA may share a single surgical site with the surgeon being assisted and may not independently perform a procedure on an opposite site except subcutaneous tissue and skin closure.

Placing a screw or manipulating a tool when manipulation and positioning of hardware must beheld in such a specific position that the maneuver can only be accomplished by the orthopedic surgeon.

All prosthetic placements, use of tools (drills, saws, etc.) and measurement to determine prosthetic size is performed by the orthopedic surgeon.

The CSFA may prepare a tendon for grafting with the surgeon harvesting the tendon for grafting.

The CSFA will follow the…