Surgical Assistant Job Description Template
We are looking for a dedicated surgical assistant to join our team in providing crucial assistance to our surgical team. The surgical assistant's responsibilities include applying dressings, sterilizing the operation site, inserting tubes and intravenous lines, providing pre and post-operative care to patients, and completing some clerical work such as record keeping and handling the phones.
To be a successful surgical assistant, you should be a good team player, with strong communication and interpersonal skills. You should also demonstrate technical skills and a strong working knowledge of surgical tools and equipment and basic medical tasks.
Surgical Assistant Responsibilities:
- Assisting with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrests or other life-threatening events.
- Covering patients with surgical drapes to ensure and maintain a sterile operating field, removing patients' body hair, and disinfecting the incision site.
- Determining the availability and inspecting sterile and non-sterile surgical equipment, tools, and supplies.
- Adjusting and maintaining the operating room temperature, humidity, and lighting according to the Surgeon's specifications.
- Applying sutures, staples, clips, and drainage systems and clamping, or cauterizing blood vessels to control bleeding.
- Assisting with the positioning of patients' bodies to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment and assessing the patients' body conditions after surgery.
- Maintaining an unobstructed operating field with surgical retractors, sponges, and suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Monitoring patients' positions, vital signs, and volume and color of blood during operations.
- Assisting the surgical team with gowning or gloving and passing instruments or supplies to the Surgeon.
- Assisting with the application of dressings, casts, splints, braces, and other devices.
Surgical Assistant Requirements:
- A graduate's degree in surgical assistance with the successful completion of clinical training.
- A license to work as a surgical assistant.
- Good manual dexterity and working knowledge of surgical procedures and tasks.
- The ability to work in a stressful environment.
- Physical stamina to work long shifts and move or lift patients and heavy equipment.
- Excellent team working and communication skills.
- The ability to remain calm and focused in the operating room.