For many surgical first assists, the challenge isn’t whether they love the work. It’s whether they can continue doing it without sacrificing their family, their health, or their passion for patient care.
For Luisa Tuchalski, CSFA, RSA, that question led to a journey that would take her across the country and ultimately toward building a stronger future for both herself and the surgical first assists around her.
Loving the Work but Losing the Balance
Luisa’s career began as a surgical technologist before advancing to a Certified Surgical First Assistant in 2015. Throughout her hospital career, she quickly became known as a leader, helping develop robotics programs, coordinate plastic surgery services, and manage growing surgical teams.
She loved the operating room. She loved helping patients. She loved surgery. What she didn’t love was the growing feeling that her work life was becoming unsustainable.
As her hospital expanded, the demands on a small team of surgical assistants continued to increase. Call schedules became heavier. Responsibilities grew. Time with family became harder to protect.
Eventually, the passion she had for surgery began competing with exhaustion. “I love, love, love what I do,” Luisa says. “I just didn’t like who I was doing it for.” Like many healthcare professionals, she reached a crossroads. Continue down the same path or build something different.
Taking a Leap Into the Unknown
Rather than leaving surgical first assisting behind, Luisa decided to reinvent how she practiced it. Together with her husband and children, she made a bold decision. They rented out their home in Wisconsin, purchased an RV, and spent nearly three years traveling while she worked assignments throughout the country. The experience gave her something she had been missing: perspective.
For the first time in years, she could step back and ask what kind of life she wanted to build, not just what kind of job she wanted to hold. Along the way, she discovered Colorado Springs.The area felt like home. The people reminded her of the Midwest. The lifestyle fit what her family was looking for. The question became whether she could build a sustainable career there.
Discovering a Better Model
While exploring opportunities in Colorado, Luisa learned about an independent surgical assist opportunity that offered an alternative to the hospital system she had grown frustrated with while still allowing her to continue doing the work she loved.
She joined expecting to continue working cases. Within a short period of time, she found herself taking on additional responsibilities and helping support operations as the first assist community continued to grow. What started as a new opportunity quickly became a mission.
Building Something Bigger Than Herself
As Luisa became more involved, the community expanded throughout Colorado, supporting facilities and surgeons across multiple regions of the state.
What stood out to Luisa was not just the growth itself, but the philosophy behind it. Rather than focusing purely on volume, the environment emphasized flexibility, collaboration, and creating opportunities for experienced surgical first assists to continue building sustainable careers.
Today, Luisa continues helping support providers while also maintaining her own independent practice and professional flexibility.
Creating a Lifestyle That Works
For Luisa, success today looks very different than it once did. It’s no longer about climbing the next ladder within a hospital system. It’s about creating a life where surgery remains rewarding and making room for family, personal growth, and long term sustainability.
The flexibility of independent practice has allowed her to continue working in the operating room and mentor other providers exploring similar paths. That balance is something she believes more surgical first assists should have access to.
The Power of Relationships
Ask Luisa what matters most in building a successful career as a surgical first assist, and her answer isn’t technical skill.
It’s relationships.Whether she’s working with surgeons, patients, facility staff, or fellow providers, her philosophy remains the same: show up to support the people around you. “That goes for the patient. That goes for the staff in the room. That goes for the doctor.” She believes professionalism starts with humility and consistency.
“You are there to ease the room. You are there to make it a great day. Checking your ego at the door is a big thing.” It’s a mindset that has helped her build trust, create long standing professional relationships, and continue opening new opportunities throughout her career.
Helping Other First Assists Build Their Own Path
Today, Luisa regularly speaks with surgical first assists across the country who want to become independent or explore new opportunities within the profession. Rather than viewing others as competitors, she views them as peers. She shares what she’s learned, helps answer questions, and encourages providers to take ownership of their careers.
Many people have suggested monetizing her advice and mentorship. She has no interest in doing so. Instead, she believes the profession grows stronger when providers support one another. “I think we should all work really hard for what we do. We need to support each other.”
Finding the Right Partners Along the Way
As Luisa continued building her career, she recognized the importance of surrounding herself with trusted partners who understood the unique challenges surgical first assists face. That search eventually led her to All-Stars Surgical Assist.
What stood out wasn’t a pitch or sales process. It was simply a genuine conversation and a willingness to help support providers navigating the complexities of independent practice. For Luisa, that responsiveness and support reflected the same relationship focused approach she values throughout her own career.
Advice for the Next Generation of First Assists
After years of experience in hospitals, private practice, leadership, and entrepreneurship, Luisa offers a simple message to other surgical first assists:
Never stop learning.
Never become too comfortable.
And don’t let fear stop you from pursuing opportunities.
“You have never mastered anything. If you get bored, you need to leave and go for the things you’re afraid of because you’re only afraid because you don’t understand.”
It’s advice that helped her move beyond burnout, create a career on her own terms, and build something that continues to help providers throughout Colorado and beyond.
For Luisa, the journey wasn’t about leaving surgery behind.
It was about finding a better way to keep doing what she loves.
