QUESTION: We’re trying to create a standardized job description for surgical assistants. Are there any uniform standards or best practices we should follow?
ANSWER: The most important thing to keep in mind is that surgical assistants may differ dramatically in terms of their education and skill set. Even the term “surgical assistant” can cover a wide range of different practitioners.
In almost all cases, you will need to grant clinical privileges to surgical assistants. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) mandates that hospitals delineate privileges for all practitioners who perform surgical tasks. This includes practitioners who perform surgical tasks under the supervision of an M.D. or D.O. (If you are Joint Commission-accredited, you will also need to conduct appropriate professional practice evaluations to confirm competence.) You will also need to check your state law. In most states, the surgical assistant profession is not directly regulated. Others, like Texas, have instituted a licensure process for surgical assistants.
When you are dealing with new applicants for the surgical assistant position, it’s advisable to do some research on their education and training. Some surgical assistant training programs can be completed within four months. Others last for two years. In some programs, almost all of the coursework is taught online and then supplemented by a brief period of hands-on training. Other programs subject students to an extensive clinical training phase that lasts nearly a year.
If your hospital’s policies and culture allow surgical assistants to play a significant role and to perform significant surgical tasks, it’s advisable to set a high bar in your credentialing and privileging process. Look for experienced candidates from high-quality programs with extensive, hands-on clinical training. If the person is certified, inquire about the general requirements for certification.
If you have the resources, consider appointing a task force of interested individuals. The task force can do research on different educational programs, different kinds of program accreditation, and different types of surgical assistant certification. The information can then be assembled into a chart for easy comparison. We also recommend that you seek input from surgeons at neighboring institutions to see whether they have any preferences, recommendations, or cautionary tales to share. The task force would eventually make a report to your Credentials Committee, Allied Health Professionals Committee, or Committee on Interdisciplinary Practice (as appropriate).
Ultimately, it is important to err on the side of caution. Although surgical assistants will be supervised by the surgeon, it is important to build in additional safeguards to catch problem applicants before they see a patient. Strong credentialing and privileging standards will help your surgeons build a team of assistants that they can rely on, and will further strengthen the quality of care at your institution.