RN, First Assistant

Kaiser Permanente • Clackamas, OR

66d

About The Position

Provides assistance to the surgical team during the intra-operative phase of surgical care for the Northwest Surgical Services region. Works in collaboration with the surgeon and health care team in the performance of surgical procedures, including assessment, planning, directing, providing and evaluating advanced nursing care. All RNFAs will participate in a regional on-call rotation to provide surgical assistance for elective, emergent and urgent surgical cases.

Requirements

• Minimum two (2) years of peri-operative scrubbing and circulating experience in a KP OR or one (1) year experience as an RNFA in or outside of KP.
• Certification of Completion from AORN recognized RNFA course.
• Successful completion of an RNFA program that meets the AORN Recommended Education Standards for RNFA and criteria for the CB.PMN acceptance program.
• Registered Nurse License (Oregon).
• Nurse Operating Room Certificate.
• Basic Life Support certification.
• Meets all qualification of an RNFA as outlined in AORN Position Statement.
• Must maintain CNOR and RN licensure with the required amount of Continuing Education.

Nice To Haves

• Minimum two (2) years of practice as an RNFA.
• CRNFA certification preferred.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) required upon hire/transfer preferred.

Responsibilities

• Performs pre-operative assessment and evaluation.
• Collaborates with the surgical team on plan of care.
• Provides knowledge based technical assistance to the surgeon during the operative procedure according to AORN standards, licensure, state regulation and facility/practice protocols.
• Uses instruments and medical devices.
• Provides surgical exposure.
• Handles and/or cuts tissue.
• Provides hemostasis, clamp, cut, and ligate tissue as directed by the surgeon.
• Sutures as directed by the surgeon.
• Evaluates the patient post-operatively according to facility protocols.
• Communicates information to maintain continuity of care.
• Communicates with patient, family and other staff in a professional and courteous manner.
• Provides continuous reassessment through the intra operative period.
• Utilizes knowledge of type of procedure to plan for appropriate set up.
• Functions as an assistant in all surgical specialties at the direction of the attending surgeon.
• Performs RNFA responsibilities in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act of the State of Oregon, institutional policies and procedures of Kaiser Permanente and the AORN Position Statement on RN First Assistants.
• Demonstrates RNFA specific clinical skills.
• Assists with room preparation in collaboration with the Circulating Nurse and scrub person.
• Notifies Charge Nurse or designee if films are not available.
• Assists in patient transport to the operating room and patient transfer to the operating room table.
• Provides assistance to Anesthesia during induction.
• Participates in pre-op briefing time out process.
• Assists in patient position and preparation.
• Sets up ESU, lights, suction for the sterile field.
• Monitors free counted items on the sterile field.
• Observes for breaks in sterile technique and takes appropriate action as necessary.
• Applies dressings and secures drainage tubes.
• Assists with patient transfer and positioning post operatively.
• Assists with room tear down and turn over in collaboration with the Circulating Nurse and scrub person.
• May perform pre and post-operative patient education as designated.
• Reviews chart for pertinent data.
• Assists in maintaining a safe environment and promoting efficiency in surgical procedures.

What This Job Offers