callbabe

I am a OR Nurse of 35 years, I have always scrubbed,circulated most cases. I have first assisted during alot of the cases also. I went thru a formal RNFA program almost 15 years ago to validate my experience. I do not believe there prerequisites are strong enough to enter a FA program. Two years is not anywhere near long enough.I have been Certified for 15 years. I work as a staff nurse, 90% of the time I am working as a RNFA. OB,General surg, GYN/ONC, Trauma is were I want to be. We did have a PA that worked for our trauma surgeons but they do not get much OR time to train, they are very good in the clinic, or rounding. I work with 3 surgical techs that work for a gen surg group, they are great, I fill in for them occasionally. They have many years of experience. I personally would not want someone with less than 10 years working on me.

I have a question that is not in reference to H& Ps, since you are from STL how are your surgical assistants credentialed. Do they have to be atleast a PA,NP, RNFA, to do wound closures, and everything that a great sugical assistant would do. I am from a medical center south of you and am trying to set up a new way of credentialing people the surgeons hire right off of the street. The surgeons will know that if they hire this type of person that they will not be allowed to do certain things that a clinically prepared person would be able to do. your info will be greatly appreciated.

I agree with the above, our policys are similar. IV access is only used with conscious sedation, and most surgeons do not even do anymore. Because they have to be ACLS trained. We do alot of MAC ( monitored anes care)

I am a baby boomer, and several of my nurse friends are older than me, my question is when do other places allow these older nurse to not take call anymore. Do they get shift preferences, any perks out there.

NO IT IS NOT I HAVE BEEN A NURSE FOR SOME 33 YEARS AND I HAVE BEEN SCRUBBING FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE. I HAVE CIRCULATED TO OVER THE YEARS, BUT NOW 65% OF MY TIME IS SCRUBBING. 50% OF THAT I AM WORKING AS AN RNFA FOR A GENERAL SURG GROUP/ AND I ALSO WORK FOR A GYN/ONCOLOGIST WE DO HAVE ALOT OF CSTs THAT ARE GREAT, SOME PRIVATELY EMPLOYED PAs. SEVERAL OF OUR RNs SCRUB IT MAKE THEM MORE FLEXIBLE.

FORGIVE ME BUT IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE OR, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT BEING AN FA JUST YET. IT TAKES YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND YOU NEED TO BE A PROFICIENT SCRUB IN THE SERVICE THAT YOU WILL BE ASSISTING IN. IT IS ALSO A REQUIREMENT FOR THE RNFA PROGRAM YOU HAVE TO SHOW SCRUB CLINICAL COMPETENCY, THESE WOULD COME FROM YOU EMPLOYER AS PART OF YOUR ADMISSION TO AN FA PROGRAM.

in most states a bsn is not required to be an rnfa, you do have to have it to get your certification (crnfa) most insurance co do not require you to be certified. i went thru a rnfa program some 10 yrs ago and am still able to bill for my services. sometime in the near future if you want to bill medicare you will have to be certified as an fa.

One of my urologist wants a flexible cystoscope on the urology floor for hard cath placements,less traumatic. Also for pulling stents. My problem is how do I sterilize it and get it back there asap. Gas takes to long. Steris is ok but how do you maintain sterility. Cidex ok, same problem. Please tell me if anyone has the same problem and how did you fix it. FYI. we do not work around the clock so there would not be any staff to reprocess, unless we call a call person in. We can do this, but the above prolem still remains. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I like the way you think, thanks for the info

Ditto

I work in a Level 111 trauma center. We do not staff 24-7. Nurses are given somethimes 24 to 48 hours to cover when taking call in the OR. We frequently work 18-24 hours doing elective an emergency cases. Do other hospitals work like this. Our management could care less as long as the work gets done. Does anyone else have to work like this.:angryfire

I would suggest that you get your BSN because in the near future you will be able to bill Medicare and some third party payors. Which will make you more marketable. Right now though it is not neccesary to have your BSN to practice. Most places do not require a certification, but it does show a level of competence. I would be happy to answer anymore of your questions. Also make sure if your are employed at a hospital that you have your own job description. I am employed by a Level II trauma center, I work as a staff nurse part of the time, I have clinical priviledges to work with any surgeon on staff that needs me. My salary changes when I am in my RNFA role. I also work privately for an GYN ONOCOLOGIST and bill for my services myself. Have a nice day.

I hate to burst your bubble but.... I have been an OR nurse for 33 years, and the last 10 I have practiced as an RNFA. I am very proud of my work and my peers respect me along with the surgeons I work with. If you are going to med school do not make a surgeon provided you could anyway. With your attitude I would not want to work with you good, great doctors know they cannot function without the help of nurses. I to work with some very smart, and very qualified CST. In the OR we all have our places and the techs should be behind a mayo. I learned how to scrub 33 years ago and have worked very hard to get were I am at. I do not think that nurses with a few years of experience should not be allowed to function as an assistant. I takes years of experience to be a proficent scrub, circulator, or a 1st assistant. If you make a surgeon and you hire a tech it will be be cause they will be cheaper, well you get what you pay for.

I need to know your policy in your facility about when you are no longer required to take call, mine is 55yrs no weekends or holidays. at 60 you may choose to not take call at all. Please any info will be greatly appreciated. I work in a Level 3 trauma center, in the OR. We do not staff around the clock.

Hey I agree for the most part, I have a reputable sales rep from a very good company telling my surgeons 1500 is ok, we do use gravity to by the way. The majority, 90% of our cases only last about 20 min. unless they are resecting something. Our fliuds usually are equal. under pressure fluid will take the easiet path, like the tube,os or perf.