Surgical Assistants

What the job really is

Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons. May, in accordance with state laws, help surgeons to make incisions and close surgical sites, manipulate or remove tissues, implant surgical devices or drains, suction the surgical site, place catheters, clamp or cauterize vessels or tissue, and apply dressings to surgical site.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Practitioners
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-9093
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
• Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
• Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
• Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment.
• Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
• Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
• Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
• Discuss with surgeon the nature of the surgical procedure, including operative consent, methods of operative exposure, diagnostic or laboratory data, or patient-advanced directives or other needs.
• Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
• Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
• Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
• Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.

Tools and technology

MEDITECH software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Anesthesia carts, Angiocaths, Argon beam coagulators, Automated external defibrillators AED, Blanket warmer cabinets, Blood warming equipment, Body stabilizers, C-arm tables

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Surgical Technologists
• Anesthesiologist Assistants
• Paramedics
• Emergency Medical Technicians
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Respiratory Therapists
• Medical Assistants
• Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Surgical Assistants — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.