Developing the First Assistant Course at the Countess of Chester Hospital

Abstract

First assistant or advanced scrub practitioner roles have been undertaken by nurses since Florence Nightingale. Recently, theatre practitioners have undertaken this role as a matter of course, regardless of skill level. The Countess of Chester Hospital Theatres has produced the IS3 110 operating theatre first assistant module at level three. This runs alongside an in-house pathway of rapid evaluation of competence. Both are undertaken as work-based learning.