First Assist Program at Angelo Stae

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Specializes in ICU, CV-Thoracic Sx, Internal Medicine.

I'm looking for an on-line course I can enroll in. Looking for a well structured program and came across this one. Anyone have any experience with it? Any other recommendations? I have zero OR experience and qualify for admission because I'm board eligible to sit for an advanced practice cert.

http://www.angelo.edu/dept/nursing/rnfa.html

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RNFA schools expect you to get your experience on the job right after the school course, usually within a year, so don't sign up for this course unless you already have an RNFA job lined up. If you don't have an RNFA job lined up, it will probably be hard to find one, because most O.R. managers will not like the fact that you have zero O.R. experience.

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Specializes in ICU, CV-Thoracic Sx, Internal Medicine.
RNFA schools expect you to get your experience on the job right after the school course, usually within a year, so don't sign up for this course unless you already have an RNFA job lined up. If you don't have an RNFA job lined up, it will probably be hard to find one, because most O.R. managers will not like the fact that you have zero O.R. experience.

Thanks for the input. I just landed a job working with a Cardio Thoracic group and I will be following patients as the Acute Care Nurse Pracititioner for that group. The lead surgeon has asked me to start looking for a program that can prepare me to assist during surgery. Any other thoughts, suggestions?

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As long as the surgeon lets you assist for at least 180 hours within a year, and you have a masters degree, it looks like the course is for you. But don't take my word for it. Talk to a course instructor.

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.
As long as the surgeon lets you assist for at least 180 hours within a year, and you have a masters degree, it looks like the course is for you. But don't take my word for it. Talk to a course instructor.

Never heard of needing a Masters to get into an RNFA course. All you need is your BSN to sit for cert, other than that your license is all you need to work within that group. Unless the rules have changed recently.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

You will just need the one week course, don't worry about the RNFA cert and the 180 hours. If you are an NP, you are all set, the significant difference between the RNFA and the NP is that an NP or PA for that matter can bill medicare for their assist services, RNFAs can't bill medicare. So as an NP, you don't need the RNFA designation, but you need an assist course just to learn the basics.

Jim

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Never heard of needing a Masters to get into an RNFA course. All you need is your BSN to sit for cert, other than that your license is all you need to work within that group. Unless the rules have changed recently.

The particular program to which she is applying does require a masters unless she is CNOR. See link....

http://www.angelo.edu/dept/nursing/rnfa.html

Most other RNFA courses do not even require a BSN. All you need is your RN plus O.R. experience.

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