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What is a Surgical Assistant?
Position Description Assist surgeons during surgery by performing duties such as tissue retraction, insertion of tubes and intravenous lines, or closure of surgical wounds. Perform preoperative and postoperative duties to facilitate patient care.
Daily Life Of a Surgical Assistant
- Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies.
- Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins.
- Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.
- 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.
- Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
- Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Surgical Assistant?
When polled, Surgical Assistants say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Types of Surgical Assistant
- Operating Room Technician
- Clinical Assistant
- Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA)
- Surgical Scrub Technician (Surgical Scrub Tech)
- Surgical Assistant
Job Opportunities for Surgical Assistants
In the United States, there were 127,800 jobs for Surgical Assistant in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 19.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 25,100 new jobs for Surgical Assistant by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 11,000 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Surgical Assistant are Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Illinois, Rhode Island, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Surgical Assistants Salary
Surgical Assistants make between $28,130 and $72,720 a year.
Surgical Assistants who work in New Mexico, Alaska, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Surgical Assistants make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,230 |
| Alaska | $62,580 |
| Arizona | $48,840 |
| Arkansas | $42,300 |
| California | $50,150 |
| Colorado | $46,270 |
| Connecticut | $55,450 |
| Delaware | $48,900 |
| District of Columbia | $54,210 |
| Florida | $42,730 |
| Georgia | $46,960 |
| Hawaii | $54,660 |
| Idaho | $48,750 |
| Illinois | $47,590 |
| Indiana | $49,300 |
| Iowa | $42,590 |
| Kansas | $49,180 |
| Kentucky | $51,780 |
| Louisiana | $38,370 |
| Maine | $51,500 |
| Maryland | $44,590 |
| Massachusetts | $55,950 |
| Michigan | $45,640 |
| Minnesota | $55,940 |
| Mississippi | $36,900 |
| Missouri | $46,580 |
| Montana | $42,630 |
| Nebraska | $45,370 |
| Nevada | $45,980 |
| New Hampshire | $50,390 |
| New Jersey | $53,570 |
| New Mexico | $60,690 |
| New York | $55,700 |
| North Carolina | $39,230 |
| North Dakota | $46,370 |
| Ohio | $42,780 |
| Oklahoma | $43,960 |
| Oregon | $54,520 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,070 |
| Rhode Island | $55,490 |
| South Carolina | $42,820 |
| South Dakota | $54,290 |
| Tennessee | $64,010 |
| Texas | $43,990 |
| Utah | $41,150 |
| Vermont | $50,140 |
| Virginia | $48,050 |
| Washington | $59,950 |
| West Virginia | $43,490 |
| Wisconsin | $44,080 |
| Wyoming | $51,120 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Surgical Assistants
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Surgical Assistants may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Word processing software
- MEDITECH software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Palm OS
- Patient tracking software
- Nursing documentation software
- Patient scheduling software
- Supply documentation software
- Surgery workflow communication software
How to Become a Surgical Assistant
Education needed to be a Surgical Assistant:
How many years of work experience do I need?
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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