Perioperative nurse surgeon assistant(PNSA) is a surgical nurse with a bachelor's or an Associate degree and appropriate licensure to work as a registered nurse who specializes in performing duties in an operating room. A PNSA who some call a surgery nurse or operating room assistant participates in preoperative and postoperative care as a member of the surgical team.
Perioperative nurse surgeon assistant(PNSA) is a surgical nurse with a bachelor's or an Associate degree and appropriate licensure to work as a registered nurse who specializes in performing duties in an operating room. A PNSA who some call a surgery nurse or operating room assistant participates in preoperative and postoperative care as a member of the surgical team.
Duties of A PNSA in an Operating Room
A Perioperative nurse can serve in as one of these roles.
Scrub nurseA scrub nurse has duties from before surgery and after the procedure.
Before surgery: Makes sure that the OR is clean, ready for set up and prepares all the surgical instruments as well as counts them. A preoperative nurse also scrubs in to preserve a sterile environment. Scrubbing in involves washing hands with special soaps, putting on sterile operating room garments(gown, face mask, shoes and gloves) and helping the surgeon to wear them. The PNSA finally helps to prepare the patient for surgery.
During surgery: Selects and passes appropriate instruments to the surgeon quickly for patient safety. The nurse watches out for hand signals to know when the surgeon needs to a tool or completes using devices for quick cleaning and returning to its place on the table. A PNSA also monitors sterility of everything in the operating room.After Surgery: The scrub nursed counts all instruments, tool and sponges and informs the number to the surgeon before removing them from the operating area. He/she helps with dressing the patient and transfer to a recovery area before filing the necessary documentation on the OR procedures.
Circulating nurseA circulating nurse manages the overall nursing care during surgery by ensuring that the environment is safe and comfortable. The patient is incapable of decision making and powerless due to anesthesia thus a circulating nurse acts as an advocate who sees to it that the surgical tram maintains safety. This role does not mean working in isolation but in close collaboration with everyone in the team including an anesthesiologist, surgeon, surgical assistant, technologist and any other personnel. Circulating nurses provide a solution if something is missing or is not functioning. A circulating nurse offers pre, intra and post-operation service by engaging in one of these roles:.
- Takes stock of instruments and supplies
- Assesses the patient before surgery to determine if all the preparation is complete
- Observes operation as the patient advocate to ensure that nothing about patient care is missing
- Studies data and offers a quick response if something goes wrong
- Confirms that the patient will get safe transport home and follow up updates for outpatient surgery
A reliable circulating nurse is that who has the training to make accurate decisions and perceptions. He only allows a sound implementation of patient care after careful assessment of the patients’ condition, evaluation and planning.
Interaction with the PatientsPerioperative nurse surgeon assistants must have an excellent grasp of the nursing concepts and have brilliant skills for them to deliver quality patient care. The capabilities include handling the emotional sometimes spiritual needs of the patients and their loved ones together with surgical care. PNSAs do no spend much time to build a bond like in other nursing occupations, but the expectation is that they do their best for the patient throughout the surgical journey. A scrub nurse is like an advocate of the patient and must build a rapport to earn trust.
The concept of PNSA fits someone who is ready to gain knowledge in surgery including patient positioning. Sterilization techniques, intra and post-operative care measures.