nurse assist in or

[superwifenursewoman]

are all or nurses surgical assistants?.

[PetiteOpRN]

No. There are many roles for nurses in the OR:

-scrub nurse

-circulating nurse

-RNFA (surgical assist)

-CRNA

-PACU/holding RN

-charge nurse

-nurse educator

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Petite is right on the money. Although a surgeon may refer to the surgical tech as an assistant, it isn't a formal title. An RNFA is a formal title that you must achieve by enrolling in a program sponsored by AORN, and credentialed by CCI. You must be supervised by a surgeon for a set number of hours, take a suturing workshop and then sit for the RNFA exam. This is my goal but DANG, it is expensive!

[Guest717236]

Canesdukegirl,

We are seeing that surgeons in our area are favoring PAs in the OR.

It may be a local trend. There is only one RNFA that I know of in our

area. Are there any articles on the future outlook for RNFA?

[PetiteOpRN]

We're seeing the PA trend as well. Greater scope of practice.

The other thing that I see most often is 'nurse clinicians' who assist in the OR. They are not CNRFAs, but they work side-by-side with the surgeon in the clinic and OR.

[Guest717236]

Thanks for the reply PetiteOpRN.

The nurse clinicians are CNS or NP's?

[PetiteOpRN]

Actually, in my region "nurse clinician" means RN or LPN. They have YEARS of training side-by-side with the MD, but no advanced degree. It seems misleading, but in the health care system in our town, they are distinguished from hospital nurses by that title, if that makes sense.

Basically, they are the ones that do everything from seeing patients to tying the MD's shoes for him. They work 70 hour weeks and are salaried.

[jdg0719]

No there are several routes to first assist

Nursing-

CRNFA

RNFA

Private scrub nurse

NP(not to common but there are some who work as first assistant)

Non Nursing-

PA

CFA

SA-C

Private Scrub Tech

CST with first assist experience