Helga Olson Becomes First Female President of NSAA in Historic Move

Helga Olson has become the first woman to serve as President of the National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA), marking a historic milestone in the organisation's more than 40-year history. Her appointment reflects growing recognition of women's leadership in surgical professions and highlights the increasing emphasis on diversity and representation within healthcare.

Key Highlights:

• Helga Olson becomes the first female President of the NSAA
• She brings decades of experience in surgical education and clinical practice
• Olson aims to strengthen advocacy, education, and recognition for surgical assistants

Based in Rochester, Minnesota, Olson succeeds to the presidency after previously serving as the association's Vice President. She has played a key role in the NSAA for several years, including chairing its Professional Development and Education Committee for eight years before joining the executive leadership. She also served on the Accreditation Review Council for Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting's Subcommittee on Accreditation for Surgical Assisting between 2016 and 2022.

Olson currently serves as Clinical Coordinator and Didactic Instructor in the Surgical First Assistant Programme at the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, where she helps educate future surgeons and surgical assistants through the Centre for Procedural Skills Mastery. She was also one of the founding educators of the Mayo Clinic's surgical assistant programme, established in 2012.

Her educational background spans psychology, anatomy and surgical assisting. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Counselling Psychology and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Findlay, followed by a Surgical Assisting degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), now part of Old Dominion University. She later completed a Master of Science in Clinical Anatomy from Northeast College of Health Sciences. Before entering surgical care, Olson worked in outpatient mental health services before retraining as a surgical assistant.

In her new role, Olson will oversee the NSAA's efforts to strengthen certification standards, professional development, advocacy and education for approximately 1,250 Certified Surgical Assistants (CSAs) practising across the United States. Founded in 1983, the NSAA works to advance surgical assisting as a recognised profession and maintains the Certified Surgical Assistant credential.

Speaking about her appointment, Olson said she hopes her presidency will encourage more women to pursue leadership opportunities in healthcare while raising awareness of the critical role surgical assistants play in delivering safe and effective patient care. She also plans to expand mentorship opportunities, strengthen educational standards, and increase national recognition of the profession.

Throughout her career, Olson has witnessed the evolution of surgical practice, including advances in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. Despite these technological changes, she believes the role of surgical assistants remains essential in supporting surgeons, ensuring efficient operating theatre workflows and improving patient outcomes. Rather than focusing on leadership titles, Olson says her greatest achievement has been contributing to positive patient outcomes, mentoring students and helping establish educational programmes that prepare the next generation of surgical assistants.