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The RN First Assistant: An Expert Resource for Surgical Site Infection Prevention
Author(s) -
Pear Suzanne M.,
Williamson Theresa H.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/j.aorn.2009.03.019
Subject(s) - medicine , surgical site infection , intervention (counseling) , surgical procedures , surgery , general surgery , intensive care medicine , nursing
The role of the RN first assistant (RNFA) has expanded and evolved during the past three decades. Studies that have examined patient care outcomes relative to RNFAs substituting for surgeons as first assistants have noted no resulting adverse consequences, and the use of RNFAs in surgery may improve patient outcomes. This article reports on an intervention to improve surgical outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery that involved replacing surgical residents with RNFAs for the harvesting of saphenous vein grafts. The resulting benefits were a significant decrease in surgical times as well as improvement in surgical site infection rates. AORN J 89 (June 2009) 1093–1097. © AORN, Inc, 2009.