After 17 rewarding years of educating Surgical Practitioners, Professional Education in Practice will be concluding its journey. We are deeply grateful for the trust and collaboration of all those who have been part of our story.
Please note that our final Part 1 course will take place on 24-25th January 2026.
Jill Biggins, Course Director
An Introduction to the Surgical First Assistant Course A - Part 1
This 22 week level 6 national and transferable course is aimed at qualified theatre staff holding a registrable qualification. Its purpose is to support staff in gaining the appropriate skills to enable them to
practice effectively in the perioperative environment as an Surgical First Assistant.
Students will undertake this course whilst employed within an operating department. Clinical practice will be facilitated by an appointed and appropriately trained mentor and clinical supervisor within the
students' workplace, and will be undertaken as part of their employed work activities. Students will be expected to be assessed using the competency document provided.
Students will receive a suggested plan of topics and activities to help them organise their study time. The plan will be devised to provide direction and support related to the identified topics within the practice
competencies, ensuring they receive theoretical support linked to the practice experience. Learning will be directed through teaching materials related to the indicative content provided via a dedicated website. A learning contract should be negotiated with their Practice Supervisor within the first week of commencing the course.
The Course:
Students will be offered an online learning route with live Zoom lectures for this theoretical course which has been developed to support the trainee Surgical First Assistant. This courses offer the qualified scrub
practitioner the opportunity to:
- Develop and expand their professional boundaries gaining the underpinning knowledge to support the clinical practice gained at the local level.
- This course aims to enable the scrub practitioner to competently assist the surgeon in relation to recognised duties of the role of the Surgical First Assistant.
- Recognising the legal position, accountability and responsibility in accordance with their specific code of conduct.
Prerequisites to attend course:
This course is aimed at both Nurses and Operating Department Practitioners who have a minimum of 12 months theatre experience.
The course will cover:
Combined Surgical First Assistant Part I Course
Course A: 30 credits level 6
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- The PEP Course Documentation including practice logbooks
- Surgical First Assistant Competencies and Portfolio of Evidence
- Professional & Legal Issues Related to Expanded Practice including consent to treatment
- Exploring the role of the Surgical First Assistant
- The Principles of Retraction and Tissue Exposure
- Preparation of the Surgical Patient including Positioning the Surgical Patient,surgical draping,
- The Principles of Inadvertent Hypothermia
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- Communication, Pre-Operative Visiting
- The Principles of microbiology, Pathology, Immune System, blood-borne infection, antibiotic resistance and universal precautions
- Male and Female Urinary Catheterisation
- The Principles of Electrosurgery
- The Principles of Minimal Access Surgery
- Anatomy & Physiology of the Skin
- Physiology of wound healing and surgical wound
dressings
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Clinical Hours:
It is anticipated that the trainee Surgical First Assistant will need approximately 100 hours clinical practice in the SFA role (Part I). It is estimated that these clinical hours could be translated into 1 day (2
sessions) per week over a period of approximately 22 weeks. The total number of clinical hours an individual practitioner requires will be influenced by a number of issues.
Surgical First Assistant (SFA) Portfolio of evidence
As part of the training process trainees will compile a portfolio of evidence which will be used to verify overall clinical competency. Practitioners wishing to submission of their portfolio of evidence for academic
accreditation will be required to complete their University Accreditation document at the commencement of their programme when the trainee will be given a training / university identification number. On completion of
the programme, the Portfolio of evidence will be submitted to PEP where the portfolio will be assessed by two educationalists anonymously using the training / university identification number.
Academic Accreditation
The programme is offered at Academic Level 6 to support the development of the portfolio of evidence reflecting the level of education and training required of the Surgical First Assistant. Successful completion
and assessment of the portfolio of evidence will provide the trainee with 30 Level 6 Academic Credit rated by the University of Greenwich
Tutorials
The programme offers the trainee access to tutorials during a course with a PEP educationalist aimed to provide guidance on the development of the Portfolio of Evidence. This can be organised in groups or individual
sessions.
Practice Supervisor and Clinical Supervisor
Each trainee will be required to have both a Practice Supervisor and Clinical Supervisor (consultant surgeon).
To book a place on this course, you can either book online or download an application form.
Application form:
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To reserve your place on this course please download and fill in the application form below or contact us.
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Please post completed forms to :
The Beeches
121 Nantwich Road
Middlewich
Cheshire
CW10 9HD
Email: info@pepractice.co.uk
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Booking Form
