What You'll Do

  • Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications.
  • Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
  • Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
  • Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems.
  • Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
  • Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
  • 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.
  • Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature.
  • 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.
  • Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.0/5
Speaking 3.75/5
Reading Comprehension 3.62/5
Critical Thinking 3.62/5
Monitoring 3.62/5
Coordination 3.38/5
Service Orientation 3.38/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.25/5
Operations Monitoring 3.25/5
Writing 3.12/5
Learning Strategies 3.12/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.

Common styles

Self-Control, Attention to Detail, Dependability, Integrity, Stress Tolerance

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 4.12/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 4.0/5
Finger Dexterity 4.0/5
Near Vision 4.0/5
Oral Expression 3.88/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.88/5
Speech Clarity 3.88/5
Written Comprehension 3.75/5

Technologies & Tools

Electronic medical record EMR software MEDITECH software Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft PowerPoint Nursing documentation software Patient scheduling software Patient tracking software Supply documentation software Surgery workflow communication software Word processing software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.7/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.66/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.6/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Certified First Assistant (CFA) Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA) Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA) Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) Certified Surgical Technician Clinical Assistant First Assistant Gastrointestinal Technician (GI Technician) Med Surg PCA (Medical Surgical Patient Care Assistant) Medical Surgical Nursing Assistant Operating Room Assistant Operating Room Technician OR Aide (Operating Room Aide) OR Surgical Tech (Operating Room Surgical Technician) Oral Surgery Assistant Perioperative Assistant Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) Surgery Assistant Surgery Technician Surgical Assistant Surgical Assistant-Certified (SA-C) Surgical Dental Assistant Surgical First Assistant Surgical Medical Assistant Surgical Scrub Technician (Surgical Scrub Tech) Surgical Services Assistant Surgical Technician (Surgical Tech)