Registered Nurse First Assist - Operating Room

Position Summary

The Registered Nurse First Assistant and/or Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant will support the continuity of care for Perioperative patients. The scope of practice includes preoperative patient care management, intraoperative surgical first assisting and postoperative patient care management with assigned surgical teams. The role will help expedite surgical productivity, support the education of surgical residents, 2nd assist where needed, and first assist the Surgeons when surgical Residents are not available. The RNFA/CRNFA will provide patient care for all ages and/or provide leadership and direction to the perioperative team where needed. The RNFA/CRNFA does not concurrently function as the scrub nurse. The RNFA works within the framework of ECU Health/ ECUHMC.

Responsibilities

1.  Serves as a role model: Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide service appropriate to the age of the patient.  To provide preoperative patient management in collaboration with other health care providers, including, but not limited to: preoperative evaluations, communicate/collaborate regarding the patient plan of care.

2.  Writing preoperative orders according to established protocols; intraoperative surgical first assisting, including, but not limited to using instruments/medical devices, providing exposure, handing and/or cutting tissues, providing hemostasis, and suturing.   Postoperative patient management in collaboration with other health care providers in the immediate postoperative period including, but limited to writing postoperative orders/operative notes according established protocols, participating in postoperative rounds, and assisting with discharge planning.

3.  To provide a qualified CRNFA to the operating surgeon during the operative procedure and comprehensive nursing management of care during the Perioperative phase.  Plan, supervise, and assist with the transfer of the patient to protect the patient and personnel from injury.

4.  Organize and coordinate supplies, equipment, and team members to maintain an efficient, and safe intraoperative environment through ongoing patient situation assessment, priority setting, and arrangement of equipment, by teaching, directing, communicating and collaborating with health care team members and support service personnel.

5.  Establish and maintain a surgically clean environment to reduce the potential for infection by applying the principles of asepsis, decontamination, disinfection, sanitation, sterilization, and environmental monitoring.  Establish and maintain a safe environment to protect the patient and the health care team by monitoring the patient (physiologically and psychologically) and the environment and by implementing safety procedures.

6.  Performs first assistant responsibilities in accordance with the state scope of practice requirements.

a.  Initiate appropriate intraoperative behaviors unique to first assisting.

b.  Applies knowledge of surgical anatomy, physiology, and operative technique relative to operative 
     procedures.

c.  Performs positioning, prepping and draping of the patient.

d.  Handles tissue appropriately to reduce the potential for injury, sutures tissue and applies dressings to 
      the wound under the direction of the surgeon.

e.  Provides hemostasis by clamping blood vessels, coagulating bleeding points, ligating vessels, and by 
     other means as directed by the surgeon.

f.  Provides exposure through appropriate use of instruments, retractors, suctioning and sponging 
     techniques.

g.  Uses surgical instruments skillfully in ways consistent with their design and purpose.

h.  Performs RNFA interventions under the direction and supervision of the operating surgeon.

7.  Assists in transporting the patient postoperatively.  Execute nursing activities to provide life support in an emergency situation by taking appropriate action and/or providing direction/assistance to health care team members.

8.  Communicates information to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and Communicates information to the family as appropriate.

9.  Evaluates the patient post operatively and participates in discharge planning.  Participate in postoperative patient care as directed by the operating surgeon. To include post op rounds, wound care, patient and family education, patient assessment. Activities and assessments will be documented in the Progress Notes.

10.  Evaluate effectiveness of nursing care to determine degree of goal attainment by comparing patient outcomes with patient goals.

Minimum Requirements

BSN required.

Must be a graduate of an accredited school of Nursing, Completion of a RNFA program that includes didactic and supervised clinical practice, approved by the Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI) that meets the criteria set out in the AORN Standards for RN First Assistant Education Programs.

Three years to five years of experience in Perioperative Nursing is preferred.

Current RN Licensure by the State of North Carolina or temporary North Carolina Licensure or meet requirements to hold RN licensure in a compact state. Successful completion of the CNOR and RNFA certification exam are required.

RNFA/CRNFA must have sound clinical knowledge of technology and treatment applications; must also possess skills to educate/train staff, and complies with AORN education standards for the RNFA/CRNFA;, and a demonstrated knowledge of the surgeries in which the RNFA/CRNFA participates. Must have sound clinical OR skills (scrubbing and circulating) and have excellent interpersonal skills and organizational capability.

Pay Range

\$42.22 - \$61.54

Other Information

Location: ECU Health Beaufort Hospital - Operating Room

Shift: Full-Time - DAYS

Hours: Shifts of operations are M-F 0645-1715 with one day off per week.

Weekends: Rotating

On-Call: Assigned call rotation is 7 days per 6-week schedule broken up over the course of 3 weeks.

Great Benefits!!!

ECU Health

About ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, a campus of ECU Health Medical Center

ECU Health Beaufort Hospital serves as a campus of ECU Health Medical Center. The 142-bed full-service hospital is located in Washington and has earned national designation as a Primary Stroke Center. It is home to a 16-bed emergency department that serves approximately 25,000 patients per year, as well as the Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center – a provider of leading-edge chemotherapy and radiation therapy, among other cancer services. ECU Health Beaufort also offers general medical and surgical services, operative services, a women’s birthing center, rehabilitation services and outpatient clinics.

General Statement

It is the goal of ECU Health and its entities to employ the most qualified individual who best matches the requirements for the vacant position.

Offers of employment are subject to successful completion of all pre-employment screenings, which may include an occupational health screening, criminal record check, education, reference, and licensure verification.

We value diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Decisions of employment are made based on business needs, job requirements and applicant’s qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, genetic information and testing, family and medical leave, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other status protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint.

Contact Information

Brandon Peppers

Recruiter

ECU Health | Talent Acquisition

Email: brandon.peppers@ecuhealth.org

Cell: (252) 417-0119