Surgical First Assist

Joinmethodist; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage

401(k) Plan with employer match

Education assistance

Job summary

Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant in San Antonio seeks a Surgical First Assistant to support the perioperative team under the surgeon’s supervision. You will assist with tissue handling, hemostasis, implant placement, and wound closure, ensuring safe operations and optimal patient outcomes.

Minimum education includes a high school diploma and accredited surgical first assistant training; multiple credential pathways are listed. Two years of perioperative experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED
• Successful completion of an accredited surgical first assistant training program.
• Meets ONE of the following: Graduate/completion of CAAHEP Surgical First Assistant, Surgical Assistant Program, Medical School Graduate OR allied health professional with 2250 hours of surgical rotation.
• Practiced as a surgical technologist prior to 9/1/2009 (if applicable)

Responsibilities

• Functions as a surgical first assistant under supervision of the attending surgeon.
• Assist with visualization and exposure using retractors, tissue handling, suctioning, irrigation, and sponging.
• Assist with hemostasis using clamps, ligation, and clips; manage tissue and vessel control.
• Assist with closure of body planes and wound dressing application.
• Assist with placement of implants and, for robotic cases, supervised trocar insertions as trained.

Job description

Introduction

Experience the HCA Healthcare difference where colleagues are trusted, valued members of our healthcare team. Grow your career with an organization committed to delivering respectful, compassionate care, and where the unique and intrinsic worth of each individual is recognized. and find out what it truly means to be a part of the HCA Healthcare team.

Benefits

Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant, offers a total rewards package that supports the health, life, career and retirement of our colleagues. The available plans and programs include:

• Comprehensive medical coverage that covers many common services at no cost or for a low copay. Plans include prescription drug and behavioral health coverage as well as free telemedicine services and free AirMed medical transportation.
• Additional options for dental and vision benefits, life and disability coverage, flexible spending accounts, supplemental health protection plans (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity), auto and home insurance, identity theft protection, legal counseling, long-term care coverage, moving assistance, pet insurance and more.
• Free counseling services and resources for emotional, physical and financial wellbeing
• 401(k) Plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay (based on years of service)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with 10% off HCA Healthcare stock
• Family support through fertility and family building benefits with Progyny and adoption assistance.
• Referral services for child, elder and pet care, home and auto repair, event planning and more
• Consumer discounts through Abenity and Consumer Discounts
• Retirement readiness, rollover assistance services and preferred banking partnerships
• Education assistance (tuition, student loan, certification support, dependent scholarships)
• Colleague recognition program
• Time Away From Work Program (paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage and leaves of absence)
• Employee Health Assistance Fund that offers free employee-only coverage to full-time and part-time colleagues based on income.

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location.

We are seeking a Surgical First Assistant for our team to ensure that we continue to provide all patients with high quality, efficient care. Did you get into our industry for these reasons? We are an amazing team that works hard to support each other and are seeking a phenomenal addition like you who feels patient care is as meaningful as we do.

Job Summary and Qualifications

The Surgical First Assistant works as a member of the perioperative team under the direction of the surgeon. He/she performs responsibilities of both the Surgical Technologist and the Surgical First Assistant based on department needs and as directed by the unit director or designee. The Surgical First Assistant practices within the scope of the job description and performs clinical and technical skills under surgeon supervision to assist with carrying out a safe operation with optimal patient results. This is done in collaboration with the circulating RN and other perioperative/OB team members. The Surgical First Assistant is educated and skilled in both the use of surgical instruments on tissues and the handling of instruments; however, the surgical first assistant does not concurrently function as the scrub nurse.

What you will do in this role:

• Functions as a surgical first assistant at the direction of and under the appropriate supervision of the attending surgeon; always practices within the limitations of preparation and experience and within the scope allowed by the hospital.
• Consistently functions at the direction of and under direct supervision (physical presence of the attending surgeon in the procedure/treatment room) of the attending surgeon. The surgical assistant scope includes:
• Providing visualization of the operative site through appropriate placement and securing of retractors with or without padding, packing or sponges; digital manipulation of tissue; suctioning, irrigation or sponging; manipulation of suture materials; proper use of body mechanics to prevent obstruction of the surgeon’s view.
• Utilizing appropriate permanent and temporary techniques to assist with hemostasis. Permanent hemostasis techniques include clamping and/or cauterizing vessels and tissue, tying and/or ligating clamped vessels or tissue, applying hemostatic clips, or placing hemostatic agents. Temporary hemostasis techniques include applying tourniquets and demonstrating awareness of the indications/contraindications for use with knowledge of side effects of extended use; applying vessel loops, non-crushing clamps, or direct digital pressure.
• Administering post-operative subcutaneous local anesthetic injection
• Utilizing running or interrupted sutures with absorbable or non-absorbable material of wound layers, including muscle and fascia.
• Assisting with placement of implants
• Robotic procedures only: Insertion of subsequent (not initial) trocars. Must have documented training and competency validated (initially within by MHS Medical staff member privileged to perform robotic surgery. The documentation must include directly supervised trocar insertions on a minimum of 5 patients completed within a 12 month period with good patient outcomes
• Under direct or general perioperative supervision (surgeon/proceduralist presence in the perioperative area (pre-op department, perioperative suite, PACU, OR/procedure waiting room) and is immediately available), the surgical assistant scope includes closure of body planes and applies wound dressings per the method indicated by the attending physician:
• i. Utilizing sub-cuticular closure technique with or without adhesive skin closure strips
• ii. Skin closure with suture, staples and/or spray occlusive material/skin adhesive strips
• iii. Securing drainage systems to tissue
• iv. Application of immobilizing dressing

What qualifications you will need:

Education

Must have completed ALL of the following:

1. High School Diploma or GED
2. Successful completion of an accredited surgical first assistant training program.
3. Meets ONE of the following:

• Graduate/completion of CAAHEP Surgical First Assistant, Surgical Assistant Program, Medical School Graduate OR an allied health professional with 2250 hours of surgical rotation.
• Practiced as a surgical technologist prior to 9/1/2009

Experience

New hires as of 3/29/2011- 2 years experience in the perioperative setting within the last 4 years in either a surgical technologist or surgical first assistant role.

Credentials

Must have and maintain ONE of the following:

• A. Surgical Technologist Certification
  • CST – Certified Surgical Technologist through the National Board for Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) (formally the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist) OR
  • TS-C- Tech in Surgery, Certified through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
• B. Surgical First Assistant certification
  • SA-C – Surgical Assistant, Certified through the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA)
  • CSA – Certified Surgical Assistant through the National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA)
  • CSFA (formally CFA) – Certified Surgical First Assistant through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)
• C. LSA- Licensed Surgical Assistant through the Texas Medical Board

Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant has been nationally recognized for its record setting kidney, liver and pancreas transplant programs. It is home to the Texas Transplant Institute and is the largest living donor kidney transplant program in the US. According to the United Network of Organ Sharing database, the center reached a major milestone in 2019 by performing 231 living donor kidney transplants in a single year setting a new national record - that’s 65 more transplants than the second center on the list.

In addition to transplant care, Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant is a full service hospital with over 260 beds that provides specialized services for liver cancer care, emergency care, weight loss surgery, urology surgery, vascular surgery, inpatient rehabilitation, colorectal surgery and behavioral health care. It is a designated Center of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Our Sexual Assault Response Team provides a compassionate environment for sexual assault survivors ages 13+, serving as a model for hospitals and agencies all over the world. Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant prides itself on providing the highest quality of patient care possible as proven by their consecutive Grade A scores from the Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grade survey and ranking in the nation’s top quartile for patient experience. For more information, please visit our website at www.sahealth.com and select Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant under Locations.

\"Across HCA Healthcare’s more than 2,000 sites of care, our nurses and colleagues have a positive impact on patients, communities and healthcare. Together, we uplift and elevate our purpose to give people a healthier tomorrow.\"
- Jane Englebright, PhD, RN CENP, FAAN
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.