justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa RN

Surgical First Assist - CVOR and L1 Trauma

Experienced Surgical First Assistant with focus in High-Risk Cardiovascular Surgery. Also takes call for L1 Trauma Surgery .

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All Content by justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

  1. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    RNFAs, what experience did you have prior to becoming a RNFA?

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to crownsk's topic in Operating Room

    @crownsk - I completely appreciate the position you're in. I started as a staff nurse in the Operating Room, but strictly in the circulating role. I had experience prior as a CST. I think a lot of my...
  2. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    5 Invaluable Lessons I've Learned in 15 Years of Nursing

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa posted a topic in General Nursing

    In the 15 years since obtaining my BSN, I started as a CVICU Nurse and then transitioned into the Operating Room. Woven in between, I obtained my MSN (AGACNP-BC), CNOR / CRNFA Certifications, and then...
  3. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Parkland Nurse Residency February 2023

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to lmib2's topic in Nurse Residency Programs

    @lmib2 - Congrats! I can't wait to meet you. Please let me know if you have any questions on the interview process for the OR path at Parkland. I completed the residency and received a full-time offer...
  4. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    The Patient-Provider Barrier in High-Risk Surgery

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa posted a topic in Operating Room

    Setting the Stage - The Riskiest Cases As a perioperative nurse who serves in a First Assist role on our high-risk cardiovascular surgery team at a top-tier institution, we often get patients who...
  5. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    CVOR vs general OR

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to Jeffster's topic in Operating Room

    @Rose_Queen You definitely seem like you thrive in L1 Trauma more and probably got to scrub-in, especially during PEA operative resuscitation
  6. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    CVOR vs general OR

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to Jeffster's topic in Operating Room

    Hi Rose - Did you scrub and circulate during your time in CVOR? Which did you prefer? Marathon
  7. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Parkland Nurse Residency February 2023

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to lmib2's topic in Nurse Residency Programs

    @lmib2 - I believe it's for the Feb-2023 cohort - I am one of the Scrub FA preceptors - really look forward to meeting you. Feel free to msg
  8. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Parkland Nurse Residency February 2023

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to lmib2's topic in Nurse Residency Programs

    @lmib2 I heard the Operating Room Residency track acceptances went out and have been
  9. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Any Parkland OR residency nurses out there!

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to elizabeth11's topic in Operating Room

    @elizabeth11 - I completed the Parkland OR Residency and it was phenomenal. It offers a really good variety of cases and opportunities to both scrub and circulate. Having experience scrubbing L1...
  10. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Career path in the OR- Am I doing this right?

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to Hannah96's topic in Operating Room

    @Hannah96 - I have been a perioperative nurse my whole career and am now a DNP CRNFA and Lead First Assist for our high-risk cardiac teams. I went from BSN to MSN (ACNP) to DNP. Feel free to message...
  11. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    CVOR vs general OR

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to Jeffster's topic in Operating Room

    @Jeffster I have been in the CVOR as a DNP RN First Assistant for the past 3 years. I scrub-in with our dedicated high-risk CV team that does our most challenging cases (re-do's, open aortic surgery,...
  12. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    CVOR First Assist Needing Surgery

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa posted a topic in Operating Room

    Have any of the O.R. nurses out there been operated on by their colleagues (or perhaps the very team they work with)? As a Marfan's patient, I am scheduled for a complex Bentall redo for an aortic...
  13. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    CVOR First Assist Needing Surgery

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa's topic in Operating Room

    Thank you, Rose. You are exactly right. I've first assisted on CABGs for 3 of our O.R. nurses and while we tried to show that emotional barrier to preserve objectivity, there is no question that it...
  14. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    When Surgery Becomes Futile...

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa posted a topic in Operating Room

    Does anyone have experience dealing with surgeons who want to either operate or continue operating when everyone in the room knows that it is futile and starts to infringe on patient dignity? We have...
  15. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Operating on a co-worker?

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa posted a topic in Operating Room

    Have any of you ever been on the surgical team for a major procedure on a coworker? I will be scrubbing on a CABGx5 on one of our surgical techs next week. I am confident that we are the right team...
  16. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Late career switch to OR nurse?

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to RNandMBA's topic in Operating Room

    @RNandMBA- I loved reading your post. The Operating Room is definitely 'a calling' and we need more nurses in our rooms who have a passion for this very specialized type of nursing! As a relatively...
  17. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Operating on a co-worker?

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa's topic in Operating Room

    Wow - it did not go well. 15+ hours and could not wean her off
  18. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    I really want to be a Scrub nurse

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to julua s's topic in Operating Room

    I couldn't agree more here. My advice would be to do what I was lucky enough to do - find an institution that offers a formal perioperative nurse residency. We still have ours and it's interesting...
  19. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    Where did you start your OR career?

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to jer11ren's topic in Operating Room

    I was lucky enough to be one of the first graduates of a perioperative nursing residency program at a tier-1 institution. It was the first year that perioperative had its own residency. That...
  20. justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa

    I really want to be a Scrub nurse

    justine_ferren_cnor_crnfa replied to julua s's topic in Operating Room

    CCI still does CNOR credentialing, but the CRNFA certification process has transitioned to