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Effectiveness of the Non‐Medical Surgical Assistant measured by patient outcome assessment
Author(s) -
Hains Toni,
Rowell David,
Strand Haakan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of nursing practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1440-172X
pISSN - 1322-7114
DOI - 10.1111/ijn.12822
Subject(s) - medicine , medical surgical nursing , surgical nursing , observational study , surgical team , surgical procedures , inguinal hernia , general surgery , surgery , nursing , hernia , primary nursing , nurse education
Aims To investigate effectiveness of the nurse clinician as a Non‐Medical Surgical Assistant compared with the Medical Surgical Assistant. Background Non‐Medical Surgical Assistants are clinicians who are not medical practitioners. The surgical assistant works directly with the primary surgeon intraoperatively. Design A pragmatic, retrospective, observational study on patients undergoing Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair or Primary Unilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty. Each patient received intraoperative care from a consultant surgeon and a Medical Surgical Assistant or Non‐Medical Surgical Assistant. All surgical assistants were registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Methods Data were collected between 01/07/2014 and 30/06/2017. The effect that surgical assistant choice had on patient outcomes was estimated using regression statistical models. Six dependent variables, including length of stay, for clinical outcome assessment were specified. Results/Findings The groups were equivalent in age, gender, and American Society of Anaesthesiologists scores. There were more emergency procedures in the Medical Surgical Assistant group and more hip surgery in the Non‐Medical Surgical Assistant group. Patient outcome assessment showed no statistically significant differences for surgical assistant types. Conclusion The nurse clinician in the role of Non‐Medical Surgical Assistant was shown to be effective with equivalent patient outcomes compared with the Medical Surgical Assistant.