Dear Alicat7,
"First assitance" is not only a name of a specific training, but also
of a position in the OR that could be filled either by a First
Assistant or by a Surgical PA. So, in practice, the difference might
be very light and depend on the person (and the supevising physician's
attitude), and how many responsibilities are allocated to this
individual worker.
However, there is a formal difference, and this stars with training.
A first assitant is a career of an RN (Registered Nurse): "Registered
nurses with 2-4 years of perioperative nursing experience (including
operating room circulating and scrubbing experience), Basic Life
Support Certification and a certification in operating room (ONOR)
nursing are eligible to take a one year Registered Nurse First
Assistant course. While not required, certification in Advanced
Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) is preferred. Though RNFA certification is
not mandatory, upon completion of the RNFA course and 2000 clinical
hours, the nurse may become RNFA certified by successfully completing
the RNFA certification exam administered by the Association of
Operating Room Nurses." (SOURCE: Registered Nurse First Assistant,
<http://www.ga.unc.edu/NCCN/recruitmentandretention/youth/roles/rn1assist.htm>).
Read more here:
What is a First Assistant
<http://allnurses.com/t42771.html>
A Surgical PA is a career of a PA, a person who could have any
previous two-year college education and some medical experience:
"All States require that new PAs complete an accredited, formal
education program. In 2002 there were about 133 accredited or
provisionally accredited education programs for physician assistants.
Sixty-eight of these programs offered a master?s degree, and the rest
offered either a bachelor?s degree or an associate degree. Most PA
graduates have at least a bachelor?s degree.
Admission requirements vary, but many programs require 2 years of
college and some work experience in the healthcare field. Students
should take courses in biology, English, chemistry, mathematics,
psychology, and the social sciences. Most applicants to PA programs
hold a bachelor?s or master?s degree. Many PAs have backgrounds as
registered nurses, while others come from varied backgrounds,
including military corpsman/medics and allied health occupations such
as respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and emergency medical
technicians and paramedics.
PA programs usually last at least 2 years and are full time. Most
programs are in schools of allied health, academic health centers,
medical schools, or 4-year colleges; a few are in community colleges,
the military, or hospitals. Many accredited PA programs have clinical
teaching affiliations with medical schools"
(SOURCE: Department of Labor, Physician Assistants
<http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos081.htm>).
Theoretically, the surgical PA job is more responsible, since they are
expected to do analytical, and not only technical work, and they "are
formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive
healthcare services, as delegated by a physician. Working as members
of the healthcare team, they take medical histories, examine and treat
patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and x rays, make
diagnoses, and prescribe medications. [...] PAs specializing in
surgery provide preoperative and postoperative care and may work as
first or second assistants during major surgery." (ibid). However, in
the OR itself (not in preoperative and postoperative treatment), the
function is almost the same, if not the same.
I hope this answers your question. Please contact me if you need
clarifications on this answer before you rate it. My search terms have
been:
"first assistant"
"what is a first assistant"
"surgical physician assistant" and different combinations thereof. |
,
0 Comments
)