Surgical Assistant - General

Advocate Health • West Allis, WI

48d • $36 - $53 • Onsite

About The Position

This full-time Surgical Assistant position is based in the Surgery Room at Aurora West Allis Medical Center. The role involves participating in the preparatory steps of surgery, assisting the operating team with supplies and room setup, and preparing and draping the patient. The Surgical Assistant will anticipate and respond to the surgeon's needs, ensuring all necessary supplies are available. A key aspect of the role is maintaining a clean, safe, and efficient operating room environment, utilizing aseptic surgical techniques, and ensuring environmental disinfection. This includes setting up and operating various equipment, checking its working condition, and reporting any issues. The position also involves acting as a resource and assisting in the training of Surgical Technologists and new Surgical Assistants, participating in department teams, and assisting with special projects. The role may involve performing specific validated surgical activities under direct or general supervision of the surgeon, including wound closure, patient preparation, application of tourniquets and drains, dressing application, and patient transfers. Competency confirmation by a sponsoring surgeon is required every two years. The Surgical Assistant must demonstrate knowledge and skills appropriate for the age of the patients served, understanding growth and development principles and assessing patient status based on age-specific needs.

Requirements

• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA).
• Teammates hired into a Surgical First Assistant role after December 31, 2026, will be required to obtain and maintain certification by one of the three certification bodies listed below: Surgical First Assist (CSFA) certification issued by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA), Surgical Assistant Certified (SA-C) certification issued by the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA), Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA) certification issued by the National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA).
• Advanced training beyond High School that includes the completion of an accredited or approved program in Surgical Technology.
• Typically requires 3 years of experience in a Surgical Technologist or Surgical Assistant position.
• Advanced knowledge and skill in major operative surgical specialties performed.
• Advanced knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and potential complications for procedures performed.
• Demonstrated ability to remove skin staples and wound drains.
• Advanced knowledge and skill of aseptic surgical techniques used in the preparation of materials, supplies and equipment for various surgical procedures and suturing.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate and recognize Physician's needs and changes that requires unplanned or unanticipated interventions, and responds appropriately.
• Remain current with ongoing computer based learning modules as assigned.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Basic computer proficiency.
• Team members will maintain annual educational requirements for hospital based certifications (e.g. DNV, CARF or others).

Responsibilities

• Participates in the preparatory steps of surgery; assists operating team in gathering supplies, opening room for cases, assists in lifting, transferring, positioning, preparing and draping the patient.
• Anticipates and responds to the needs of the Surgeon, by ensuring all required supplies are available for procedures prior to incision, recognizing individual preferences.
• Provides for a clean, safe and efficient area conducive to optimal patient care. Utilizes aseptic surgical techniques in the preparation of materials, supplies and equipment for surgical procedures (e.g., assistance with gowning and gloving; preparation and draping of the surgical area; provision of a sterile field, instruments, suture and related materials; anticipation of the Surgeons' needs; holding of retractors, observing and reporting possible breaks in aseptic technique; and assisting in maintaining a sterile, dry, unobstructed field).
• Ensures the environmental disinfection, safety and efficiency of the operating room. This includes setting up the room for each case including moving equipment (e.g., tables, cameras, microscopes, fracture table, and instrument pans), operating the various types of equipment they have been trained to use during operating room procedures, and returning equipment post procedure. Checks the working condition of equipment and facilitates having damaged items sent out for repair. Notifies appropriate people of equipment and supply problems.
• Acts as a resource and assists in the training of Surgical Technologists and new Surgical Assistants. Participates in department and facility work teams and assists with special projects as needed.
• May perform specific surgical activities that are validated competencies under the direct supervision of the surgeon (i.e. the surgeon is in the same room working on the same patient). A record of the validated competencies must be recorded in the caregiver's education file.
• May perform specific validated competencies and surgical activities such as wound closure of deep capsules, muscle, subcutaneous tissue and skin under general supervision of the surgeon (i.e. validated competencies may be delegated by the surgeon who is immediately available and able to furnish immediate assistance and direction but not necessarily present in the room when the activity is performed).
• May perform specific validated competencies and surgical activities such as position and prep of patient on the surgical table (excluding complex fracture table, spinal frame, or head stabilizers/pins/tongs), application of the tourniquet as indicated in preparation of a procedure, securing of drains, application of the dressing, cast or immobilizer at the end of a case and safe transfer from the surgical table to transport cart/bed without supervision of the surgeon (i.e. validated competencies may be delegated by the surgeon and be performed without supervision of the surgeon and with the surgeon not present).
• Provides competency confirmed by a sponsoring surgeon and submits documentation to the medical executive committee a minimum of every two years for approval and/or renewal.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off programs
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree