SURGICAL FIRST ASSISTANT

Overview

Surgical First Assistant, Operating Room

$7,500 Sign-on Bonus for Experienced SFAs

$5,000 Sign-on Bonus for New Grad SFAs

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift

 

Parkwest Overview:

Headquartered in Knoxville, Covenant Health is a community-owned integrated healthcare delivery system and the area’s largest employer.

 

Parkwest is Covenant Health’s and West Knoxville’s premier medical facility and a top-performing heart hospital, offering our patients world-class treatment with all the convenience and warmth of home.

 

In addition to providing the area’s leading cardiac services, Parkwest has been nationally recognized for award-winning care throughout our facility. For 2020-21, Parkwest received recognition from U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Top 10” hospitals in Tennessee.

 

Knoxville located in East Tennessee is the third largest in the state, well-known for its proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and is the home of the University of Tennessee. Go Vols!  Living in Knoxville means experiencing all four seasons.  Best of all, each of them is pretty mild!

 

Combine all that with the abundant natural beauty of the surrounding mountains, and you have a city that truly offers something for everyone. Knoxville has a vibrant arts culture, seasonal festivals, top-notch foodie and incredible outdoor recreation. It’s a perfect blend of big-city amenities and Southern charm.

 

Operating Room:

Parkwest Surgery is a growing cutting edge facility. The latest expansion will total 30 surgery suites. Specialties include orthopedics, cardio-vascular, robotics, gyn and urology services.   Parkwest surgery is a fast paced, exciting environment. We encourage our staff through educational opportunities such as specializing in a particular service or advancing their practice. Parkwest surgery and leadership also offers students the ability to receive clinical hours for surgical scrub techs, nurses, physicians assistants and medical students.

 

Position Summary:

With directed delegation, assists the surgeon throughout the entire surgical procedure. The surgeon may allow the surgical first assistant to tie or cauterize vessels, muscle, or fat under their immediate direction or observation; the surgical first assistant may close the skin with suture or staples and place dressings. It is the surgeon’s responsibility to verify the acceptability and appropriateness of the closure.

 

Recruiter: Kathleen Rice || kkarnes@covhlth.com || 865-374-5386

Responsibilities

• Under supervision of MD/surgeon, facilitates patient care by providing surgical first assistant duties for the surgeon before, during and after surgical procedures; follows unit standards and processes to deliver age-appropriate care for all patients; demonstrates accountability as an individual and team member in meeting patient/family needs; participates in identifying cost-effective measures for clinical care.
• Demonstrates expanded knowledge of surgical anatomy/ physiology and operative technique to work collaboratively with the surgeon and the other team members.
• May apply dressings as appropriate in an aseptic manner as delegated by the surgeon.
• Assists the operating room team in safely transferring the patient to and from the Operating Room; demonstrates proper positioning techniques; reports to the circulator and surgeon bilateral pedal pulses and posterior tibial pulses when appropriate; knows the proper position for cases and understands the use of proper positioning aids to protect nerves, bony prominences and to maintain circulation.
• Recognizes safety hazards and initiates appropriate preventative and/or corrective actions to ensure a safe environment for the patient and the surgical team throughout the perioperative experience
• Plans, sets up, performs, and cleans up the assigned surgical procedure as a surgical first assistant and/or as a scrub tech; demonstrates knowledge of equipment and instrumentation pertaining to case; safely operates special equipment which may be used in surgical cases (e.g. lasers, microscopes, tourniquets, endoscopes, drills, saws, etc.); maintains instrument and equipment integrity; performs room turn-over and terminal cleaning; utilizes supplies appropriately and in a cost effective manner. When called upon can assist in daily assignments; makes sure all needed supplies/implants are available for assigned case(s); brings to the coordinator the changes that need to be made to the preference maps.
• . Demonstrates knowledge