Surgical First Assistant - Associate of Arts Degree (AA)

Degree Quick Facts

• Instructional School: Health
• Department: Health Professions
• Program Code: SFA.AA
• Program Type: Academic Transfer
• Available Fully Online: No
• Eligible for Federal Financial Aid: Yes

NOTE: Courses required for this program may have an additional fee; more information can be found on the Special Course Fees web page.

Degree Plan: Spring Start

The course sequence listed below is strongly recommended in order to complete your program requirements. Many Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses have prerequisites and/or corequisites that have been accounted for within this course sequence plan. Please register for your major requirements each semester as shown below using the Student Planning tool in myCWI. Consult your advisor for any questions regarding this plan.

NOTE: The required general education courses may be completed during any semester the student prefers, including summer semesters.​

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Spring		Credit Hours
CWI 101	Connecting With Ideas	3
SFA 205	Principles of Surgical Assisting	6
SFA 215	Surgical Bioscience	6
	Total Semester Credit Hours	15
Summer
SFA 225	Advanced Surgical Anatomy	4
SFA 240	Clinical Practicum I	4
	Total Semester Credit Hours	8
Fall
SFA 235	Advanced Surgical Procedures	4
SFA 241	Clinical Practicum II	4
GEM 1 - Written Communication course		3
GEM 3 - Mathematical Ways of Knowing course		3
	Total Semester Credit Hours	14
Second Year
Spring
GEM 1 - Written Communication course		3
GEM 2 - Oral Communication course		3
GEM 4 - Scientific Ways of Knowing course 1		4
GEM 5 - Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing course		3
GEM 6 - Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing course		3
	Total Semester Credit Hours	16
Fall
Global Perspectives course		3
GEM 4 - Scientific Ways of Knowing course 2		3
GEM 5 - Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing course 2		3
GEM 6 - Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing course 2		3
	Total Semester Credit Hours	12
	Minimum Credit Hours Required	65

*Students must select an "E" designated (Ethical Reasoning) course to fulfill one of their General Education requirements.*

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Communicate the surgeon’s preferences and specific patient’s needs to a surgical team including but not limited to suture needs, specialty supplies and instrumentation, and equipment.
• Apply advanced knowledge of normal and pathological surgical anatomy and physiology.
• Demonstrate aseptic skills by monitoring actions around the sterile field.
• Demonstrate preoperative skills such as assessing patient information, history, preoperative tests (e.g. EKG, EEG, EMG, lab values, diagnostic imaging), safety measures, biopsy results, positioning, and draping.
• Demonstrate competency in all positioning techniques for the surgeries they are participating in.
• Demonstrate safe stabilized placement on the appropriate bed/table with the appropriate operation, set up, safety measures, and utilization of all necessary equipment, stabilizers, padding, wrapping, and/or attachments.
• Perform a surgical skin prep selecting the correct prep for the situation (e.g. chlorhexidine gluconate/alcohol prep, iodine povacrylex/alcohol prep, chlorhexidine gluconate, povidone-iodine [iodopovidone], etc.) and preparing the appropriate surgical prep site necessary, including tourniquet application and foley catheter insertion.
• Provide intraoperative skills such as visualization, trocar insertion, injection of local anesthetics, hemostasis, tissue handling, placement and securing of wound drains, and closure of body planes.
• Demonstrate proficiency in all pertinent abilities required during a procedure; these include, but are not limited to, clamping, cauterizing, suturing, inserting, injecting, manipulating, retracting, cutting, and ligating tissue as necessary, as well as any further actions deemed necessary by the surgeon.
• Demonstrate postoperative skills in patient care, such as dressing application, patient transfer and transport, transfer of care, and monitoring for immediate complications while collaborating with others to provide continuity of care.

(Learning Outcomes adapted from the 4th Core Curriculum of the Association of Surgical Assistants.)