Clinicians from The Walton Centre have developed an enhanced role for surgical practitioners, adding a greater level of patient treatment during neurosurgery.
The Walton Surgical Assistant Project was created because of the need for assistance during the initial stages of surgery.
Scrub Practitioners who are eligible for the training will have a dedicated consultant mentor, who will guide them through gaining the skills needed to assist in surgery. This additional set of skills will mean a greater efficiency in the operating room, which feeds into the Trust’s already high quality patient care.
Oliver Tierney, Clinical Lead for Education & Development, said: “The traditional route to deal with a skill gap like this would be the Surgical First Assistant role, however it was deemed unworkable, so we decided to create a new role catered to the needs of our patients. This new role will allow our senior scrub staff to not only safely assist in the incisional phase of surgery, but also develop leadership skills and build confidence. In essence, this is a lot more than simply giving staff a new skillset, it’s about developing our senior staff group as a whole.”
Staff taking up the training will receive an internal qualification, after building a portfolio of learning and experience.
For more information about the centre, visit www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk
