SURGICAL INTERVENTION - TEAM CONCEPT

Surgical intervention of the disease process is accomplished by employing the concept of the surgical team.  This team is comprised of medical  professionals with specialized training and education. The basic team members are:

• Anesthesia Personnel
• The Surgeon
• The Surgical Assistant
• The Peri-operative Nurse
• The Surgical Instrument Specialist

Anesthesia Personnel

Anesthesia is provided by medical professionals that have had in-depth training in the administration of    pharmaceuticals, physiology of the anesthetized patient and the utilization of technology relevant to anesthesia.  The professionals are Medical Doctors, Doctors of  Osteopathy, Registered Nurses, and Physician Assistants.

The Surgeon

The Surgeon is a Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy who has completed a residency training in a surgical  specialty.  The Surgeon is responsible for the diagnosis of the disease, treatment of the disease by performing a  surgical procedure, and the postoperative management of the surgical patient.

The Surgical Assistant

The Surgical Assistant is a trained medical professional that assists the surgeon in performing the surgical procedure.  This professional has an understanding in human anatomy at the advanced level; has honed surgical skills such as suturing, tying of suture, and the proper use of surgical instruments;  positions patients, being aware of positional dangers to the patient; and other duties and training to evaluate the surgical patient to assure the best possible outcome for the patient.

These professionals are Medical Doctors, Doctors of Osteopathy, or allied health professional Non Physician Surgical Assistants.  The Non Physician Surgical Assistant has had advanced education and training and has usually passed a competency examination given by a recognized national organization before being allowed to function in this capacity.

The Peri-operative nurse

This professional category is made up of Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses.  In some states the Certified Surgical Technologist serves in this role under the supervision of a Registered Nurse or  Licensed Practical Nurse.

The Peri-operative Nurse’s duties are to interview the patient prior to surgery, be in the operating room during the surgical procedure, open sterile supplies, document items of medical importance in the  patient’s chart, count instruments with the  instrument specialist, perform as the instrument  specialist, assist anesthesia personnel and the surgeon during emergency situations, and give  report on the stability of the patient to the recovery room personnel at the end of the surgical procedure.

The Instrument Specialist

The Instrument Specialist is also know as the Scrub Nurse or Surgical Technologist.  For the purposes of this document, the Surgical Technologist will only be discussed.  The Surgical Technologist in today’s   paradigm has completed a training program, and passed a competency examination earning the  Certified Surgical Technologist designation.  His/her duties and responsibilities are to gather supplies prior to the surgical procedure, open sterile supplies, adorn  sterile attire and organize the sterile supplies and instruments, count the supplies and instruments prior and after the surgical procedure, and hand requested instruments to the surgeon and the surgical assistant during the sterile procedure.

Nurses and Surgical Technologists do assist the surgeon during surgical procedures, but  their duties are usually limited to cutting suture, holding  retractors and suctioning bodily fluids.