OTD First Assistant

J  o  b    D  e  s  c  r  i  p  t  i  o  n

JOB INFORMATION

Effective Date:

5/5/2026

Entity:

Wisconsin

Job Code:

850037

Job Title:

OTD First Assistant

FLSA Exemption Status:

Non-Exempt

Management Level:

Individual Contributor

JOB SUMMARY

The UW Organ and Tissue Donation (OTD) First Assistant is accountable for assisting during the organ recovery and safe preservation of organs from donors at the direction of the Organ Recovery Surgeon or Organ Recovery Practitioner. The First Assistant ensures equipment for surgery is open on the field or in the OR room, and scrubs into surgery directly assisting the Recovery Surgeon or Organ Recovery Practitioner. After surgery, the First Assistant helps prepare organs and specimens for transport, closes incisions, helps OR staff with post recovery donor case, and delivers organs such as the kidney, liver, pancreas, heart, lungs, and bowel in a chain of handoffs to the transplant recipient centers.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

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Assist the Organ Recovery Surgeon or Organ Recovery Practitioner during organ and tissue recovery and preservation procedures and close surgical incisions using appropriate techniques per surgeon or practitioner preference.

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Prepare and set up the Operating Room and sterile field for organ recovery procedures.

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Travel by personal automobile, chartered aircraft or ground transport throughout the UW Organ and Tissue Donation (UWOTD) service area and beyond providing rapid on-site response.

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Independently recover organs for research, once trained.

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Prepare, preserve, and package organs, tissues, and specimens to ensure optimal transplant outcomes.

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Document case data accurately and complete required recovery documentation within assigned timeframe.

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Communicate effectively and collaborate with hospital personnel, physicians, related donation agencies, and transplant centers.

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Assist thoracic recovery teams with recovery perfusion and packaging, as needed.

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Communicate surgeon preferences and specific patient needs to the surgical team.

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Position the patient to ensure appropriate exposure for the procedure based on surgeon preference.

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Provide proficient intraoperative skills required during a surgical procedure, including, but not limited to visualization, hemostasis, clamping, cauterizing, suturing, inserting, injecting, manipulating, retracting, cutting, and ligating tissue as necessary.

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Provide postoperative skills in patient care such as applying dressings to surgical wounds, patient transfer, transfer of care, and monitoring for immediate complications.

As needed, additional responsibilities reasonably within the scope of duties and physical requirements may be assigned.  ALL DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS MUST BE PERFORMED CONSISTENT WITH THE UW HEALTH PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND RESPECT FOR PEOPLE COMMITTMENTS.

X

Clinical

Will provide all patients age and culturally appropriate assessment/screening and interpretation of clinical and laboratory data. Develops and implements age appropriate interventional plans of care including education within the parameters of their position responsibilities and licensure

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Post-secondary education in the field of surgical technology, surgical assistant, health sciences or applied sciences

Required

Two (2) years of relevant clinical and surgical experience may be considered in lieu of degree in addition to the required experience below.

3 years

of relevant surgical working experience

Required

CST/FA, SRC/FA, SFA

Preferred

LICENSE, CERTIFICATIONS, AND REGISTRATIONS MUST BE MAINTAINED PER UW HEALTH POLICY. 

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Effective communication and customer service skills required.

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Ability to work long hours with little breaks.

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Ability to work collaboratively with people from various backgrounds.

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Attention to detail; ability to provide timely and accurate documentation.

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Possess a working knowledge of all operating room procedures with respect to surgical attire, infection control, surgical scrubbing, gowning and gloving, surgical prep, aseptic technique and instrumentation.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS

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Sedentary: Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

Up to 10 lbs.

Negligible Weight

No Weight

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Light: Light work involves lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may be very little, a job is in this category when it requires a good deal of walking or standing, or when it involves sitting most of the time with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls. To be considered capable of performing a full or wide range of light work, you must have the ability to do substantially all of these activities. If someone can do light work, we determine that they can also do sedentary work, unless there are additional limiting factors such as loss of fine dexterity or inability to sit for long periods of time.

11-25 lbs.

1 - 10 lbs.

Negligible weight

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Medium: Medium work involves lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds. If someone can do medium work, we determine that they can also do sedentary and light work.

26-50 lbs.

11-25 lbs.

1 - 10 lbs.

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Heavy: Heavy work involves lifting no more than 100 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 50 pounds. If someone can do heavy work, we determine that they can also do medium, light, and sedentary work.

51-100 lbs.

26-50 lbs.

11-25 lbs.

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Very Heavy: Very heavy work involves lifting objects weighing more than 100 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing 50 pounds or more. If someone can do very heavy work, we determine that they can also do heavy, medium, light, and sedentary work.

Over 100 lbs.

Over 50 lbs.

Over 25 lbs.

Other - list any other physical requirements or bona fide occupational qualifications not indicated above:

Over 50 lbs.

UW Health does not require, nor does it expect that its employees lift more than 50 lbs unassisted. Objects in excess of 50 lbs should be lifted or moved with mechanical means or through a team lift. Employees in patient care areas are expected to utilize mechanical lifts and adhere to the "Use of Mechanical Lifts (Liko)" policy in the Patient Services Policy and Procedure Manual.

Note: The purpose of this document is to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel so classified; it is not intended to serve as an inclusive list of all responsibilities associated with this position.

THE EMPLOYEE MUST BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE JOB WITH OR WITHOUT AN APPROVED ACCOMODATION. Note: The purpose of this document is to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel so classified; it is not intended to serve as an inclusive list of all responsibilities associated with this position.