The role of Surgeon's Assistant continues to be a contentious issue within the perioperative environment. Questions arise as to whether theatre nurses both want to and ought to extend their role into the medical margins. Suzanne Boss surveys the literature and draws preliminary conclusions on this development in nursing practice. This article was submitted in entry for the Alison Bell Writer's Competition 2001.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AntonioliL., BennettH.C.1994Vein Harvesting for Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: the registered nurse first assistant's roleAORN Journal59(5) 969–979
2.
CaballeroC.1996Laparoscopic Nurse Practitioner – developing a nurse practitioner roleMilton Keynes General Hospital, unpublished paper, presented at The British Association of Day Surgery Conference, Glasgow
3.
CahillH.1996Focus on Specialist Nursing Role Definition: nurse practitioners or clinicians’ assistants?British Journal of Nursing5(22) 1382–1386
4.
CastledineG.1996Nurses Must Not Become the Mechanical Hands of DoctorsBritish Journal of Nursing5(6) 386
5.
ClossS.J., CheaterF.M.1996Audit or Research – what is the difference?Journal of Clinical Nursing5249–256
6.
Department of Health1993A Vision for the FutureLondon, HMSO
7.
DixonE.1994The Theatre Nurse and The LawLondon, Croom Helm
DowlingS., BarrettS., WestR.1995With Nurse Practitioners, Who Needs House Officers?British Medical Journal311309–313
10.
EdwardsK.1999What are Nurses’ Views on Expanding Practice?Nursing Standard9(41) 38–40
11.
EnglishT.1997Medicine in the 1990s Needs a Team ApproachBritish Medical Journal314661–663
12.
FarrellJ.1999Enhancing Perioperative Nursing Practice: developing a course for the surgeon's assistantBritish Journal of Theatre Nursing9(5) 202–203, 206–208
13.
GibbonsP.1991Making the Best Use of the Skills of Nurses and Midwives – hours of work of doctors in trainingLondon, National Health Service Management Executive
14.
Greenhalgh1994The Interface Between Junior Doctors and NursesMacclesfield, Greenhalgh
15.
HarrisA., RedshawM.1994The Changing Role of the Nurse in Neonatal Care: a study of current practice in EnglandJournal of Advanced Nursing20874–880
16.
HindM.1998Specialist Nursing Surgeons’ Assistants: a new role for operating theatre nurses?British Journal of Nursing6(22) 1298–1302
17.
HodsonD.M.1998The Evolving Role of Advanced Practice Nurses in SurgeryAORN Journal67(5) 998–1006, 1008–1009
18.
HolmesS.1994Development of the Cardiac Surgeon's AssistantBritish Journal of Nursing3(5) 204–210
19.
HopkinsS.1996Junior Doctors’ Hours and the Expanding Role of the NurseNursing Times92(34) 34–36
20.
HughesA.1995Letters to the editor … The Nurse as Surgeon's AssistantBritish Journal of Theatre Nurses5(5) 30–31
21.
HughesM.1996Key Issues in the Introduction of Nurse EndoscopyNursing Times92(8) 38–39
22.
HuntG., WainwrightP.1996Expanding the Role of the Nurse – the scope of professional practiceLondon, Blackwell Science
23.
KeaneA., RichmondT.1993Tertiary Nurse PractitionersIMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship25281–284
LastT., SelfN., KassabJ., RajanA.1992Extended Role of the Nurse in ICUBritish Journal of Nursing1(13) 672–675
26.
LewisM.1994Communication in TheatresSurgical Nursing7(1) 27–29
27.
MacAlisterL., ChiamM.1995Why do Nurses Agree to Take on Doctors’ Roles?British Journal of Nursing4(21) 1238–1239
28.
MazzaJ.1985The Perioperative Role of the OR NurseNatNews22(3) 13–16
29.
McGeeP.1993Defining Nursing PracticeBritish Journal of Nursing2(20) 1022–1026
30.
McKennaG.1993Caring is the Essence of Nursing PracticeBritish Journal of Nursing2(1) 72–75
31.
McPhillipsJ., BrownJ.1996The First Assistant Role in PEG Tube InsertionProfessional Nurse11(9) 620
32.
National Association of Theatre Nurses1994The Role of the Nurse as Surgeon's Assistant in the Operating DepartmentHarrogate, NATN
33.
National Association of Theatre Nurses1997New Roles in Perioperative CareHarrogate, NATN
34.
NicholasJ.1996Stop Turning us Into DoctorsNursing Times92(7) 26
35.
ReadS.1998Exploring New Roles for Nurses in the Acute SectorProfessional Nurse14(2) 90–92
36.
RievS.1994Error and Trial: the extended role dilemmaBritish Journal of Nursing3(4) 168–174
37.
RobertsC.1995Nurses, not Mini DoctorsNursing Times92(9) 24
38.
RowdenR.1987The Extended Role of the NurseNursing3(14) 516–517
39.
ThomasE.1993Decimation by DelegationNursing Standard7(50) 48–49
40.
United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting1992The Code of Professional ConductLondon, UKCC
41.
United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting1992The Scope of Professional PracticeLondon, UKCC
42.
WebbR.A.1995Preoperative Visiting from the Perspective of the Theatre NurseBritish Journal of Nursing4(16) 919–920
43.
WilliamsJ.L.I., TreasureT., GalskoC., CollinsC., ScottS.1999Assistants in Surgical Practice: a discussion documentLondon, The Royal College of Surgeons
44.
WoodheadK.1995Assisting the surgeon: the dilemma for nursesNursing Standard10(3) 53–54