title: The RN first assistant: an expert resource for surgical site infection prevention.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Carondelet Health Network, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pear
authors.forename: Theresa H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Williamson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration; D016357:Infection Control Practitioners / Q000458:organization & administration; D007396:Internship and Residency; D016015:Logistic Models; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009871:Operating Room Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000458:organization & administration; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000458:organization & administration; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000451:nursing*