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Surgical first assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Surgical first assistant example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical surgical first assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for surgical first assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.4% of surgical first assistant resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a surgical first assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 surgical first assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how surgical first assistants use patients:
  • Informed, educated, and counseled patients regarding important surgical procedures.
  • Provided immediate preoperative and post-operative care and positioning of patients.

2. Visualization

Here's how surgical first assistants use visualization:
  • Provide retraction of tissue and organs for optimal visualization with regard to tissue type and appropriate retraction instrument and/or technique 10.
  • Provide visualization of the operative site during the operative procedure.

3. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how surgical first assistants use patient care:
  • Report pertinent information regarding patient care to recovery room personnel.
  • Provided patient care in physician office setting, operating room, and emergency room under the direction of an orthopedic surgeon.

4. Surgical Procedures

Surgical procedures include the list of tasks that are done while doing surgery. Usually, a surgical procedure involves an incision with instruments, performed to repair damage or heal the disease in a living body. Surgical procedures are performed by trained individuals such as surgeons, doctors, and nurses.

Here's how surgical first assistants use surgical procedures:
  • Certified first assistant-surgical procedures with surgeon, specializing and achieving skills in: General Surgery OB-GYN Surgery Orthopedics Plastics Surgery
  • Labor and Delivery/Perinatal/Mother Baby DepartmentI handle the instruments, supplies, and equipment necessary during the surgical procedure.

5. Surgical Technologist

A surgical technologist refers to a health professional who assists and works alongside surgeons, nurses, and other health care team members throughout a surgery. While many of these professionals work in general surgery, some opt for a surgical specialty area like cardiology, pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, etc.

Here's how surgical first assistants use surgical technologist:
  • Certified Surgical Technologist, Good Samaritan Hospital Performed as a CST in general, orthopedic and cardiovascular surgery.
  • Supervised and provided direction for surgical technologist to provide a better working environment in the operating room.

6. Optimal Results

Here's how surgical first assistants use optimal results:
  • Ensured to provide efficient and supportive environment for optimal results in administering surgery.
  • Assisted surgeons in carrying out a safe operation with optimal results.

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7. Operative Site

Here's how surgical first assistants use operative site:
  • Verify the identity of patient or operative site.

8. Technical Functions

Here's how surgical first assistants use technical functions:
  • Provided aid in exposure, hemostasis, and other technical functions, which assists the surgeon.
  • Provided patient positioning prior to prep, aid in exposure, hemostasis and other technical functions.

9. Harvest

Here's how surgical first assistants use harvest:
  • Experienced endoscopic and open vein harvest.
  • Harvest saphenous vein, including skin incision, per surgeon s directive 14.

10. Direct Supervision

Direct supervision is a term used to indicate that a person is supervising a certain task or a certain person while being physically present or in close proximity. It refers to the presence of a person and the availability of their supervision in something if it is needed.

Here's how surgical first assistants use direct supervision:
  • Perform all functions under the direct supervision of the surgeon in accordance with hospital policy and appropriate laws and regulations.
  • Work under the direct supervision of the surgeon to facilitate the procedure and process of surgery.

11. Robotic

Robotics is a branch of engineering and technology involving the conception, design, construction, operation, and use of robots to assist and/or substitute human efforts and actions.

Here's how surgical first assistants use robotic:
  • General Surgery and plastics including DaVinci robotic certification and experience in SILS
  • Educated in assisting with Robotic Surgery.

12. CST

CST, Central Standard Time, is a well-known name of UTC-6 time zone which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Countries with the Central Standard Time, in which a switch to daylight saving time is common, turn the clock forward by one hour in summer.

Here's how surgical first assistants use cst:
  • Completed performance improvement projects aimed at CST Continuing Education.
  • Travel across the nation to fill staffing positions as a CST for up to 13 weeks.

13. Suturing

Here's how surgical first assistants use suturing:
  • Performed other related tasks such as: suturing, exposure, bleeding control, skin closure and application of dressing.
  • Major specialty was assisting in plastic surgery, including suturing; however did perform all specialties as needed.

14. Surgical Instruments

Here's how surgical first assistants use surgical instruments:
  • Qualified in processing and sterilization of surgical instruments.
  • Assist Dr. Osman with development of Minimally Invasive Surgical instruments.

15. Sponges

Here's how surgical first assistants use sponges:
  • Pass instruments, sponges, sutures, and needles to surgeons and their assistants.
  • Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
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List of surgical first assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a surgical first assistant resume and required skills for a surgical first assistant to have include:

  • Patients
  • Visualization
  • Patient Care
  • Surgical Procedures
  • Surgical Technologist
  • Optimal Results
  • Operative Site
  • Technical Functions
  • Harvest
  • Direct Supervision
  • Robotic
  • CST
  • Suturing
  • Surgical Instruments
  • Sponges
  • Infection Control
  • Tourniquet
  • Wound Closure
  • ICU
  • Acls
  • Operative Procedure
  • Catheter
  • Retractors
  • Patient Safety
  • Sterile Technique
  • Ortho
  • Surgical Equipment
  • General Surgery
  • PACU
  • Body Planes
  • Clamp
  • CVOR
  • GYN
  • Robotic Surgery
  • Surgical Cases
  • Laparoscopic
  • Spine
  • Electrocautery
  • Labor Delivery
  • Plastic Surgery
  • Splints
  • IV
  • Thoracic
  • Post-Operative Care
  • Clips
  • Surgical Specialties
  • Home Health

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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