SUNY Upstate Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA)
This 6-credit course provides eligible RNs with the necessary education to assume the role of the first assistant during operative and other invasive procedures.
The course is based on the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) educational guidelines and core curriculum. Our course has been reviewed by the American Association of Operating Room Nurses Competency and Credentialing Institute and is on their list of approved RNFA courses.
The Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) is a specialized RN who has the advanced technical knowledge to directly assist a surgeon during procedures. This includes: clamping vessels, closing incisions, suturing, handling tissue and providing hemostasis. The RNFA also provides pre- and post-surgery patient care. Upon completion of the program, nurses will be able to work as an RNFA.
RNFA will not be offered in the academic year 2012-2013.
The course starts in the Fall semester, with one full week of classroom instruction, 9 am - 5 pm Monday-Friday. Following this week, the student is free to spend the remainder of the course (through April) accruing the required clinical hours. There is no break between semesters. Following the classroom instruction week, there is some on-line work related to the clinical experience and limited number of afternoon clinical conferences held on the Upstate campus in Syracuse.
The dates of the week-long class and the dates and times of the clinical conferences vary annually.
NURS 514 - Registered Nurse First Assistant: Theory and Practice Course
This course leads to a certificate entitling the participant to practice Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA). Using the nursing process as a framework, the student will explore the appropriate role and responsibilities of the RNFA during the delivery of care to surgical patients in all aspects of the surgical experience: pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative. The skills required to implement the role of the RNFA during common surgical procedures, including suturing, retracting, and instrumentation, will be presented in a workshop format with opportunity for practice. Classroom investigation and discussion will focus on professional and practice issues related to the role of the RNFA. Two hundred and twenty five hours of clinical practicum will allow the student to apply the principles and skills learned in the classroom for assisting the surgeon and patient during surgical and other invasive procedures. During the clinical practicum students will assist with preoperative, intra-operative, and post-operative patient management in collaboration with other health care providers. A minimum of 150 hours must be spent directly assisting a board certified surgeon preceptor. This course meets the Association of Peri-Operative Registered Nurses (AORN) guidelines and requirements for Registered Nurse First Assistant.
6.0 Credit hours
For more information on the upcoming semester, call the College of Nursing at 315 464 4276.
Joyce Griffin-Sobel, PhD, RN
griffinj@upstate.edu
Dean, College of Nursing
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