Perioperative Support Associate Second Assistant

Hi all,

I’m currently a BSN nursing student in my senior year and I applied for a job at my local hospital as a Perioperative Support Associate II in the operating room. According to the job description, I meet all of the qualifications of the job and it included a brief description of the job duties so I know that this is a job I really want. However, I have scoured the internet and even some of my textbooks for more information about this job all to no avail. From my understanding, the job is a nursing assistant to the perioperative nurse but I could be terribly wrong about this. Duties include things like setting up the operating room, opening sterile supplies, helping the OR nurse or anesthesia provider position the patient for surgery, scrubbing in to help hold a limb, camera, or retractor, and assisting with suctioning the site or removing suture ends under the direction of the surgeon.

I actually got a call back for an interview, but I still don’t know much about the job itself. I know that it’s a job I really want, but I don’t want to show up to my interview not knowing much about the job or what goes on in the OR. So if you can help clarify what a periop support associate second assistant does, I would be forever grateful. Also, if you have any information on anyone else that works in the OR besides the surgeon and anesthesiologist/CRNA, that would be great as well. Or if you can direct me on where to look for such information, I would really appreciate all of the help I can get.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and help me out!