Pilot program aimed at shrinking wait lists will train health-care aides to support surgical teams

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This article was published 12/04/2023 (915 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Health-care aides trained as operating-room assistants will soon free up nurses to focus on tasks requiring their specialized skills.

It’s part of a $5 million diagnostic and surgical recovery task force pilot project to increase capacity and reduce wait lists in Manitoba.

The 12-week course began in January with 29 students receiving virtual education and clinical on-the-job training, a Manitoba government press release said.

Graduates are expected to be phased into the OR in the coming months, with a total of 70 expected to take the micro-certification course.

Their responsibilities will range from decontaminating rooms and disinfecting equipment to transferring and preparing patients safely for surgery, readying instruments and equipment during procedures and post-procedure cleanup. They’re not trained to carry out the same responsibilities as nurses, but will be members of the surgical team providing additional support.

The union representing Manitoba nurses welcomed the news about the assistants who will act as a support to surgical teams so nurses can better concentrate on the application of their skills.

“If indeed that bears out in practice, we look forward to seeing a reduction in surgical wait times and improved health-care outcomes for patients,” the Manitoba Nurses Union said in an email Wednesday.

The first group of assistants will be trained and oriented at Health Sciences Centre, Victoria General Hospital, Misericordia Health Centre, Grace Hospital, St. Boniface Hospital, Pan Am Clinic and Selkirk Regional Health Centre.

Expansion of the program to additional sites across Manitoba will be considered based on the success and evaluation of the pilot project, the government press release said.

Training is provided at no cost and participants are paid a full salary while completing the course as part of a two-year return-of-service agreement. The trainees must have recognized health-care aide training and at least three years of experience working in an acute-care setting.

— Staff