Task transfer: A survey of Australian surgeons on the role of the non-medical surgical assistant

The Perioperative Nurse Surgical Assitant (PNSA) of the future

“…The care provided by the PNSA encompasses 'holistic nursing care throughout the preoperative, intraoperative and post-operative phases of a surgical patient's journey' 1(p.40) . In Australia, the PNSA role has primarily been implemented in general, orthopaedic and neurosurgery, with growing interest in using the role in plastic surgery 6,7 .…”

“…The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has expressed support for the PNSA role and RACS members have expressed interest in contributing to the curriculum and training of PNSAs. This possible partnership with RACS is one that PNSA course coordinators at La Trobe University encourage and support 6 .…”

The legitimacy of the nurse practitioner as a non-medical surgical assistant: Historical evidence from Australia

“…Data collected from a survey administered online via the Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) website and in hardcopy, to 900 attendees at the national conference of ACORN in 2016 (n = 124; response rate = 14%) revealed that the nursing NMSA with a higher level of education was perceived to be superior in the skills of Mentoring, Leadership, Theatre Efficiencies, Safety and Procedural Knowledge compared to the NMSA with no postgraduate qualifications (Hains et al, 2016). Furthermore, an online survey administered to Australian surgeons via the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' online e-newsletter (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, 2015a) in 2015/16 (n = 445; response rate = 8%) found broad support for the NMSA among Australia's surgeons (Hains et al, 2018). When asked what qualifications were appropriate for the role of the NMSA, 24% of the responses indicated that only clinicians with a medical degree were appropriate for the role of surgical assistant, whereas 36% of responses indicated that NPs were appropriate and 53% of responses indicated that RNs with any postgraduate surgical assisting qualification were appropriate for this role (Hains et al, 2018).…”

“…Furthermore, an online survey administered to Australian surgeons via the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' online e-newsletter (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, 2015a) in 2015/16 (n = 445; response rate = 8%) found broad support for the NMSA among Australia's surgeons (Hains et al, 2018). When asked what qualifications were appropriate for the role of the NMSA, 24% of the responses indicated that only clinicians with a medical degree were appropriate for the role of surgical assistant, whereas 36% of responses indicated that NPs were appropriate and 53% of responses indicated that RNs with any postgraduate surgical assisting qualification were appropriate for this role (Hains et al, 2018).…”

Effectiveness of the Non‐Medical Surgical Assistant measured by patient outcome assessment

“…From an international perspective, the role of the Non‐Medical Surgical Assistant (NMSA), a clinician who is not a medical practitioner, has been practiced for more than 50 years (Hains, Strand, & Turner, 2017). In Australia, the role is largely undertaken by a registered nurse (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP), collectively called Perioperative Nurse Surgeon's Assistants (Hains, Turner, & Strand, 2016, 2017a, 2017b, 2018b) or NMSA. These clinicians predominantly assist the surgeon during the intraoperative phase.…”