jonnygnurse

Thanks for the great info! So am i correct in assuming that RNFA is not required to assist (dependent upon location), but provides the education/knowledge that now illusive scrubbing would provide, but take longer to acquire? Thanks Jon

I understand this topic has been beaten to death, but after searching the sight forever,I still can't seem to find a concrete answer. I am hoping that if I phrase the question a little differently, your replies will help me make an impending decision. I have posted before about my regrets having chosen RN as opposed to PA (already have BS in biology), for reasons only related to surgical assisting opportunities. This is my last semester of nursing, and residency application deadlines are looming, in which I need to state primary and secondary interests. I live in the North Texas area and am lucky enough to have secured an ICU preceptorship this semester. Sadly, our curriculum includes little OR exposure and the role of surgical assisting is never broached. At some point I would like enter an ACNP program, but nothing is concrete, as I am trying to formulate the most efficient career pathway to surgical assisting. Other than applying for perioperative residency, I am not certain of the next step. Is scrubbing a necessity to gain experience, or is the role so diminished in the RN profession that finding a job would be impossible? Is RNFA redundant as an NP, in which case experience must be gained under a willing physician? Is first assisting unattractive to physicians giving reimbursement differences between PA and NP? I would greatly appreciate your opinions on the "best" career pathway to first assisting. Thanks Jon

Hello, I am trying to answer the following question for my women's health class: "If an infant is born at term but is not crying and has poor muscle tone, what initial steps should we take to stabilize the newborn?" I have gone through power points and the text and can't find specific interventions for non-crying atonic neonates. Are these characteristics of a specific neonatal condition? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Jon

Thanks for the reply. You are correct in that we do start ER and ICU next semester, so fingers are crossed that things become more appealing. I will check into the portfolio rout regarding NP. Are there any RNFA's or NP-RNFA's out there who can share their experiences, so that I might have a better idea of what options might be available when the time comes? Thanks again Jon

Hi, My name is Jon and this is my first allnurses post. A little bit of background-I am a second semester nursing student in one of the 5 major programs in Dallas, TX. I am in my early thirties and graduated high honors with a BS in biology and minor in chemistry, immediately before going on to nursing school. I avoided the hard science professions due to low pay concerns and the fear of eventually sitting behind a desk in order to avoid such concerns. As a result, I chose to pursue the medical/ health care rout. Recently married, my wife extinguished any inclinations I had toward medical school (it was a mutual decision), and after much calculation, I sidestepped PA school for nursing school. The cornerstones of my decision were: the backlog of PA applicants in my area (there are only two schools in the North Texas area and regardless of my GPA and volunteer hours, I was sure to wait a full year before acceptance), and the wide variety of career options available to the licensed nurse; chiefly, the similarity between NP and PA scope of practice. All is well and good in calculated decisions, but I have found very little enjoyment in nursing school thus far. I genuinely enjoy studying (even test taking), but with few exceptions, have found the curriculum entirely boring, and skillset unrepresentative of my scientific inclinations and thought process. My grades have been more than adequate, but have taken a dive this semester as my interest depletes further. In an OB clinical two weeks ago, I observed a cesarean section and found myself entranced by the procedure, envious of those assisting, and had zero interest in the goings on of the OR nurses. Shortly after this experience, my class attended an interprofessional heath care student meeting which included PT's, OT's, Med students, and PA's (nurses attended for the first time ever). Again I found myself feeling envious of Med and PA students and out of place on the nursing side of the table, especially now that my mind was largely set on assisting in surgery. Sadly, the roles and positions in healthcare can be convoluted and overlapping, making it difficult to "calculate" one's best fit in career path. I have floated the idea of dropping nursing school for PA (wife didn't take to it well), and now I spend my study time seeking advice from NP's and PA's to see if I need to consider such a monumental move before it is too late. I have two semesters of nursing school left, but then I am looking at two years of forced labor in the OR setting (I think this is required for RNFA certification), two years of NP, the RNFA credential, and then trying to find a surgeon under whom I can work. From what I have read and been told, this can be difficult in Texas given the ubiquity and role of PA's in the area. It has become clear to me becoming an RNFA without being an NP is a futile effort due to medicare reimbursement issues. I can apply to PA school, wait a year and hopefully be getting hands on experience within a three year period (4 years total). I have written the American Association of Surgical Physicians Assistants and it seems as though there aren't any concrete barriers for PA graduates in gaining assisting experience after licensure. Can somebody set me straight? Lend some support-perhaps regarding NP-RNFA vs. PA roles? I'm not really looking for an answer, just experiences, suggestions, and information. Thanks Jon