personal digital assistant (redirected from handheld)

personal digital assistant (PDA),

a small computer used to organize and easily access information, such as clinical guidelines.

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assistant [ah-sis´tant]

one who aids or helps another; an auxiliary.

dental assistant see dental assistant.

first assistant a physician, physician's assistant, nurse practitioner, surgical technologist, or specially trained registered professional nurse who directly assists the surgeon by handling tissue, providing exposure, using surgical instruments and equipment, suturing, and providing hemostasis.

occupational therapy assistant see occupational therapy assistant.

personal digital assistant (PDA) a small computer used to organize and easily access information; for example, clinical guidelines can be downloaded to this device.

physician assistant see physician assistant.

second assistant an individual who assists the surgeon or first assistant during an operative procedure by carrying out technical tasks such as holding retractors; this individual does not cut, clamp, or suture tissue. This role may be performed at the same time as the scrub role.

surgeon assistant (SA) see surgeon assistant.