First Assisting Options

[heather2084, BSN]

I'm currently an RN, BSN working for an OB-GYN. I work in the office checking in patients, and assisting her in surgery for the last 6 years. Surgery has always been my love and I was a circulator in a 7 room OR for 4 years before a spot cane open to wok for her. I have multispecialty experience from general to ortho, gyn, neuro, urology, eyes and ent. My goal was always to be a surgeons assist so I have achieved that. However, my doctor will retire long before me and I'm starting to look to the future after this job. Of course RNFA comes to mind but I'm just not sure how financially sound that is in a more rural area, not to mention reimbursement. So recently I've been wondering if getting my NP wouldn't be a more practical way to go, but at the dane time if it's over kill for wanting to be a surgeons assist. Any thoughts or recommendations? I've always felt if I went for NP I would get stuck in an office just seeing patients all day and that is not really what I want at all. Please advise!

[heather2084, BSN]

Anybody?

[Amistad, RN]

There are NPs at my hospital who first assist in surgery, but they also see patients post op on the floor as well. RNFA sounds like a good option, but I'm not sure how easy it is to get the cert in your area. I've been trying to research RNFA programs online just out of curiousity (I just started working in the OR as an RN) and it seems they are very few and far between. Of course the one closest to me recently closed their program, ugh!