New MBS Item Numbers for Nurse Practitioners Assisting in Surgery: Closing the Gap in Surgical Assisting
Exciting progress for Nurse Practitioners (NPs) — new MBS item numbers have been officially released under Group M33 – Non-medical assistance at operations, recognising the critical role NPs play in surgery. ? New NP Surgical Assisting Items Subgroup 1 – Assistance at operations provided by a nurse practitioner: 93718 – Assistance at any operation (fee […]
Regional Surgical Staffing: Why Specialist Agencies Are Essential
Regional hospitals face growing surgical backlogs due to workforce shortages. Specialist agencies like SurgiAssist play a key role in providing NPs and PAs as surgical assistants. Challenges in Regional Settings: Limited access to credentialed assistants. Long waitlists for elective surgery. Retention difficulties for perioperative staff. How Agencies Help: Deploying credentialed NPs and PAs for short- […]
Top 5 CPD Courses Every Surgical Assistant Should Complete in 2025
As the demand for skilled surgical assistants grows, both Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs)are stepping into vital perioperative roles. Under AHPRA CPD requirements, practitioners must complete ongoing education to remain competent and compliant. Here are the top CPD courses surgical assistants should consider in 2025. Key CPD Focus Areas: Advanced Suturing & Wound […]
The Role of Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants in Theatre Efficiency
Operating theatres are under pressure from growing surgical demand. Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants acting as surgical assistants are key to improving workflow and supporting surgeons. Contributions to Theatre Efficiency Hands-on intraoperative support – Retraction, suction, haemostasis, and closure. Surgeon collaboration – Allowing surgeons to focus on complex tasks while assistants manage key procedural elements. […]
How Nurse Practitioners Are Expanding Surgical Support Through Telehealth
While most surgical assistants provide intraoperative support, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) extend their role through Telehealth, offering seamless perioperative care. NP Contributions via Telehealth Pre-Operative Assessments – Medication reviews, patient education, and optimisation. Post-Operative Follow-Up – Wound checks, pain management, and complication triage. Rural Access – Extending surgical support into underserved regions. Reduced Surgeon Workload – […]
Maintaining ACORN Standards: A Surgical Assistant’s Perspective
The ACORN Standards define safe practice in Australian operating theatres. For surgical assistants (NPs and PAs), maintaining compliance is central to effective teamwork. Core Areas of Focus Aseptic Technique – Strict adherence to sterile field management. Safety Checklists – Active participation in time-outs and surgical counts. Patient Positioning & Draping – Ensuring patient safety while […]
You must be logged in to post a comment.