Sr Cardiac Surgical Assistant

MedStar Health’s Washington Hospital Center; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 66,593 - 114,795; Full time

Job summary

MedStar Health’s Washington Hospital Center is seeking a qualified Cardiac Surgical Assistant to support open heart and vascular procedures under the attending physician. The role includes pre- and post-operative care and supervision of junior staff.

Responsibilities cover intraoperative assistance, cannulation, harvesting conduits, patient positioning, sterile technique, rounds, and collaboration with the surgical team. DC licensed surgical assistant or CSA certification required.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree or higher required.
• NSAA Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner program or RN First Assistant program or equivalent required.
• 5 years' experience as a Surgery Assistant.
• Minimum 2 years in active cardiac program.

Responsibilities

• Assist in open heart and vascular/thoracic procedures under attending physician.
• Provide pre- and post-operative patient care.
• Perform complex senior-level cardiac surgical assistant duties including IABP and graft preparation.
• Maintain sterile field and assist with cannulation and debanding as needed.
• Attend rounds and participate in conferences to support clinical expertise.

Education

Advanced medical degree / eligible for DC licensure

NSAA/NP or equivalent training

Job description

About the Job

General Summary of Position
Works as first or second assistant during open heart and other vascular and thoracic surgical procedures under the direction of the attending physician. Assists with the pre-and post- operative care of the cardiac surgical patient. May assist the Chief and Assistant Chief in the coordination of case load and assignments as well as providing direction and assistance to the more junior staff including Cardiac Surgical Assistants. May perform harvest procedure(s) at a facility other than WHC.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Reviews and interprets as appropriate the patient chart medical history the coronary arterial cine films and other cath lab data as it relates to the patient's condition and care with the attending physician and receives an overview of the planned procedure. Brings items of interest/concern to the attending physician.
• Recognizes abnormalities of electrocardiogram in the OR and ICU settings and takes appropriate action to assist in the correction and stabilization of the arrhythmias and hemodynamic parameters of the patient.
• PERFORMS THE MORE COMPLEX SENIOR LEVEL CARDIAC SURGICAL ASSISTANT DUTIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
• Inserting the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) catheter percutaneously. Preparing the patient for arterial and venous cannulation. Opening the sternum utilizing mid-line sternotomy technique. Harvesting and preparing the Right and Left Internal Mammary Arteries for conduit purposes. Closing the mid-line sternotomy utilizing the physician's preferred technique after the physician is confident the hemodynamic parameters and heart function are stable all graft and cannulation sites are hemostatic and graft positioning and flow through the grafts are as desired. Teaching/mentoring less experienced staff and conducting in-services as possible.
• PERFORMS THE DUTIES OF A CARDIAC SURGICAL ASSISTANT INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
• Providing proper patient positioning and ensuring proper body alignment for the patient undergoing open heart and other vascular and thoracic procedures. Ensuring/maintaining a sterile field during surgical procedures by following AORN standards/protocols e.g. providing proper prepping and draping. Monitoring the patient during the different medical procedures e.g. pacemaker insertion myocardial biopsy etc. Inserting the Foley catheter and rectal temperature probe as directed by the attending physician. Inserting the Foley catheter and rectal temperature probe as directed by the attending physician. Assisting in the placement of pacing wires.
• Harvesting of the arterial and venous conduits including the radial artery saphenous vein lesser saphenous vein and or cephalic vein to be used for bypass grafting utilizing the surgeons preferred harvesting technique then using standard protocol preparing these veins/arteries with the assurance that all branches have been ligated and that there are no leaks or injuries present.
• Establishing intravenous lines both peripherally and/or femorally as the need arises. Placing arterial lines via femoral or radial approach for monitoring purposes or to obtain blood samples. Performing arterial and venous cut down via the femoral radial or brachial approach as warranted. Repairing arteriotomies and veinotomies ensuring adequate homeostasis has been obtained and good distal pulses and blood flows are evident.
• Assisting in cannulation and decannulation techniques for On bypass procedures.
• Obtaining homeostasis of all wounds where the veins/arteries have been harvested and properly closing all of these incisions.
• Closing fascia and skin incisions.
• Dressing wounds and wrapping extremities as necessary.
• Obtaining cultures from surgical wounds for appropriate tests and caring for such including dressing cleaning and debridement.
• Obtaining post-operative cardiac parameters and ensuring patient stability and notifying the attending physician of any seen or suspected abnormalities.
• Assisting in the preparation of the patient for transport and accompanying the patient to a designated unit/area and giving the patient information to the appropriate personnel there.
• Attending rounds with attending physician(s) and support personnel.
• Initiating and/or assisting with CPR when appropriate.
• Attends cath. and surgical conferences in-service training and continuing medical education programs as appropriate to maintain clinical expertise and/or certification. Assisting in the collection and compiling of data in support of biomedical research. Providing back-up support to the cardiovascular laboratory and other services as deemed necessary by the surgeon in charge of the case.

Minimal Qualifications

Education

• Associate's degree or higher level degree required or
• Equivalent training such as graduation from National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA) Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner program RN First Assistant program foreign medical school or directly related discipline required

Experience

• 5 years' experience as a Surgery Assistant or equivalent required
• Minimum of two years' experience in an active cardiac program exhibiting a high degree of understanding regarding hemodynamic principles for the cardiac patient and how they relate to patient management required
• Experience demonstrating the ability to assess these parameters and precisely relay the information to the appropriate physician or support personnel required

Licenses and Certifications

• Licensed Surgical Assistant in the District of Columbia required
• Health Services \\ Certified Surgical Assist - CSA from the National Surgical Assistants Association required or
• Equivalent certification licensure or degree required

This position has a hiring range of

USD $48.34 - USD $83.33 /Hr.