Abstract
In Australia, the role of the Non- Medical Surgical Assistant (NMSA) lacks recognition and professional regulation. This paper reports the findings of a recent survey of Australian perioperative staff [n=ri6] to determine their knowledge and perceptions of the NMSA role. The survey findings confirm that the role is not well established across the Australian health care system. Of concern is that perioperative staff are required to fill the role of surgical assistant on an impromptu basis. NMSAs with no post-graduate qualifications are perceived by perioperative staff to be less equipped in mentoring, leadership, theatre efficiency, safety and procedural knowledge. There was evidence that some perioperative praxes necessitate the role of the NMSA to avoid practices that compromise patient safety.
Highlights
Practising perioperative nurses work in a relatively flat hierarchy in the clinical setting in which their roles are largely dictated by differences in the context of care
Perioperative Nurse Practitioners who work as NonMedical Surgical Assistant (NMSA) scored 51.6 per cent (n=63), much lower than the Perioperative Nurse Surgeon’s Assistant (PNSA)
A need exists in the Australian health care system for the NMSA role
Summary
Practising perioperative nurses work in a relatively flat hierarchy in the clinical setting in which their roles are largely dictated by differences in the context of care. Variances in contexts and resources require Registered Nurses (RNs) to perform roles, such as surgical assisting, not typically associated with their scope of practice and this is a reflection of the leadership often displayed by perioperative clinicians[1,2,3]. In a recent practice audit of the role of the NMSA in Australia only RNs and NPs responded as performing the role of the NMSA12. Journal of Perioperative Nursing in Australia Volume 30 Number 3 Spring 2017 acorn.org.au and general surgery the second highest[13]. This was confirmed by a recent practice audit of NMSAs in Australia[12]
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