First assistant OR Nurse

[aWiiPeanut, ADN]

Hello! I'm at a crossroads while doing my gen Ed classes. My question is:

what exactly does a first assistant nurse do? Is it common for an RN to become a first assist or do facilities prefer a lower paid person to fill this position (like a qualified surg tech)? I'm trying to figure out if I want to become a surgery tech/first assist later or become an RN. The circulator position, only being able to read about it, doesn't seem as interesting but I may just not be getting enough information. Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

What you will find is that many facilities are different. In teaching facilities, residents are responsible for first assisting duties. Some physicians will utilize NPs and/or PAs who are able to first assist in surgery as well as round on patients and manage orders. Some facilities may have a mix of everything- we have some surgeon groups who employ their own NP/PA first assistants as well as have 4-5 RNFAs and CFAs employed by the hospital who work with those surgeons who do not have their own assistant. If you want more information on the RNFA, be sure to check out AORN and CCI for information.

However, here is my best advice I like to give students: Keep an open mind during clinical. Many go in thinking they want to work in one specialty only to find it's not for them. I thought I wanted to go into peds or OB. Then I experienced those clinicals, and they were among my very least favorite nursing school experiences. My exposure to the OR? Absolutely zero until my senior practicum. And now, I've spent my entire career in various OR specialties. Never expected to find myself here, but I wouldn't go anywhere else.