The Nurse as First Assistant to the Surgeon: Is This a Perioperative Nursing Role?

Bernthal, Elizabeth

doi:10.1177/175045899900900304

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…It has long been recognized that nurses have acted as assistants to the surgeon, either in the capacity of first assistant where the nurse provides skilled assistance but not surgical intervention, or as surgeon’s assistant where the nurse actually engages in the process of surgery and undertakes a caseload under the supervision of medical staff (NATN 1993, 1994, Bernthal 1999). The need for such roles has arisen for a variety of reasons:…”

Section: New Operating Department Rolesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and definition of the role of the operating department nurse: a review

McGarvey¹,

Chambers²,

Boore³

2000

Journal of Advanced Nursing

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In the current cost-conscious National Health Service (NHS), the role of the nurse during anaesthesia and surgery is one that has interested health service managers keen to know what happens behind the closed doors of the operating department. It is clear that if nurses working within this specialized setting are to secure a future in providing care for surgical patients, then it is important to clarify and articulate exactly what it is that their role involves. The aim of this paper is to examine the role of the operating department nurse. First, it will illustrate how the role of the nurse has evolved alongside medical and technical advances in surgery, particularly in the last century. Second, it will highlight that while definition of the role has received attention in the North American literature, references in the British literature as to what it is that operating department nurses do, are scant. Finally, it will address the evolving role of the contemporary perioperative nurse highlighting the changes and challenges that nurses who work within this setting are currently facing. It is suggested here that nurses need to engage in role definition in order to be clear about their direction for the future, particularly within the fast changing, technologically driven environment of the operating department.

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Section: New Operating Department Rolesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and definition of the role of the operating department nurse: a review

McGarvey¹,

Chambers²,

Boore³

2000

Journal of Advanced Nursing

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Contemporary issues about the role of the specialist nurse working with the surgeon have been discussed ( Derrick 1989, Benthall 1999) but the review yielded no accounts of either the role of the post‐anaesthesia nurse or the application of biosciences in this speciality. It is clear that theatre nursing and, particularly, post‐anaesthesia nursing are under‐researched areas.…”

Section: The Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical effectiveness in the post‐anaesthesia care unit: how nursing knowledge contributes to achieving intended patient outcomes

Prowse

Lyne

2000

Journal of Advanced Nursing

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Clinical effectiveness in the post-anaesthesia care unit: how nursing knowledge contributes to achieving intended patient outcomes This paper reports part of an ongoing study on how nursing knowledge develops in practice and influences patient outcomes. The practice focus is post-anaesthesia nursing, an area which has been under-represented in nursing research. A qualitative approach was used to explore narrative data, collected by in-depth interviews, with 32 experienced post-anaesthesia nurses. Data analysis and interpretation were informed by a phenomenological perspective consistent with a research focus on individual experiences. Interpretation of the narratives gave rise to a description of knowledge development which occurred as nurses gained experience, drew on the available knowledge base, and used knowledge in practice. This led to the identification and description of 'referential' and 'effective' types of knowledge. Referential knowledge comprises the variety of external knowledge sources available to inform practice. When referential knowledge was incorporated into the personal knowledge of the individual nurse in everyday practice, it was transformed into effective knowledge which was used by nurses to achieve desired patient outcomes. The study findings indicate that nurses used effective knowledge as evidence for decision making and interventions in everyday practice. The key finding of the study is that effective nursing knowledge requires practice for its development.

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The Nurse as First Assistant to the Surgeon: Is This a Perioperative Nursing Role?

Cited by 2 publications

References 7 publications

Development and definition of the role of the operating department nurse: a review

Development and definition of the role of the operating department nurse: a review

Clinical effectiveness in the post‐anaesthesia care unit: how nursing knowledge contributes to achieving intended patient outcomes

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