PA and NPs in the OR?

[linguine]

Hello everyone,

Have any of you seen physician assistants and nurse practioners working in the OR along side with the surgeons as first assists? I know that many PA programs require their students to rotate through surgery.

Some places uses RNs for first assist, others surgical techs, and others use surgical residents to do this.

What have you all seen in the OR in terms of working as the first assist?

What have you all seen in the OR in terms of working as the scrub?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Some of our surgeons employ PAs or NPs who will scrub in and work as first assist. All of our ORs are staffed with a circulator and two scrubs. For cases where the surgeon has an NP/PA, the second person is checking other case carts/pulling meds/etc. For those without NP/PAs, both scrubs will be at the field, one handling instruments and the other acting as assist, although they cannot do much more than retract or cut suture unless they have had additional training. We have one RNFA and one CFA on staff, as well as several scrubs who have gone through a suturing class and are allowed to suture skin as long as the surgeon is still physically in the OR (but they can break to write orders).

[shodobe]

We have one Ortho group that employes a PA and he scrubs and writes post-op orders. It is nice when that group is on call and brings him along. Makes the case go fast and perfect.

[nursinadream]

In addition to above comments some hospitals employ PAs and first assists, techs or nurses to assist with surgery. These roles are all beneficial to making the cases go well. Then there are the "partner" or associate attendings who come along to "help". These may be senior partners or retired from practice who stay busy and make money helping out. There's a lot of neediness going on there. "Answer my phone, pager...call my office, wife, etc."

If you are thinking of advancing your education to take on these roles, carefully research who your competition will be: perhaps all of the above mentioned. Any program that offers this education may falsely quote your expected salary. It is VERY regional, depending on many factors.

Deb