Surgical First Assistant - Surgery General

CHRISTUS Health•Longview, TX

About The Position

The Surgical First Assistant provides assistance to the surgeon during preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care under the surgeon’s direction and supervision, following hospital policy and applicable laws and regulations. Duties support safe operations and optimal patient outcomes through exposure, hemostasis, closure, and other intraoperative technical functions, as well as preoperative and postoperative patient care. The role includes safely positioning patients according to the surgeon’s preferences, the patient’s anatomical and physiological limits, and the procedure. The assistant may perform a preoperative visit to assess the surgical site and support positioning. The assistant also helps prepare patients with the circulator and anesthesia provider, performs procedure-specific tasks using appropriate techniques, and carries out other duties delegated by the surgeon in accordance with state and local policy. Additional procedures, such as vein and graft harvesting or graft and implant preparation, may be performed when the assistant has appropriate training and surgeon supervision.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Graduation from an accredited Surgical First Assist Program, a State Board-accredited Vocational School of Nursing, or a School of Surgical Technology.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Certified Surgical Technologist First Assistant certification.

Nice To Haves

Two years of Surgical Tech experience preferred.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) preferred.

Responsibilities

Meet the expectations of the applicable OneCHRISTUS competencies: Leader of Self, Leader of Others, or Leader of Leaders.
Assist the surgeon under direct and indirect supervision throughout preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative duties and procedures.
Facilitate safe patient positioning according to the surgeon’s preferences, the patient’s anatomical and physiological limits, and the procedure; conduct a preoperative introduction visit to assess the surgical site when appropriate.
Assist the circulator and anesthesia provider with patient preparation, including Foley catheter placement, tourniquet application, placement of intravenous catheters, cricoid pressure application, and other procedures as needed.
Perform surgeon-specific tasks, including incision and layered closure of surgical sites, providing exposure, achieving hemostasis by injection, manual, or topical methods, and applying appropriate energy sources.
Manipulate, dissect, or remove tissues; assist with implanting, securing, or removing devices and drains; and apply procedure-specific dressing material.
Apply other specific dressing materials, such as splints or casts.
Assess skin integrity, assist with patient transfer, and follow the patient to recovery if needed or directed by the surgeon.
When appropriately trained and under surgeon supervision, perform procedures such as vein and graft harvesting and graft and implant preparation.
Perform additional duties delegated by the surgeon in cooperation with state and local policy.