Registered Nurse First Assist

You’re looking for a consistent schedule, a supportive team, and meaningful work focused on surgical patients.

Join Novant Health’s Women’s Operating Room where you’ll work alongside a close-knit team dedicated to caring for patients during some of life’s most important moments.

Location Details

• Location: Scotts Hill Medical Center- Wilmington, NC
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, mixed shifts, 7am-7pm and 7am-5pm
• Call: Some weekend and call required (details discussed during interview)

• Education:  Must be an AD, BSN, MSN, NP, CNS, CNA, CNM registered nurse who has graduated from an accredited school of nursing. Completion of a RNFA course.
• Experience: Two years, required. Perioperative RN experience.
• Licensure/Certification: 
  • Current RN licensure in appropriate state, preferred
  • CNOR through the Certification Board of Perioperative Nursing, required.
  • Completion of Novant Health's credentialing process, required.
  • Advanced Cardiac life Support (ACLS) certification, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification, preferred.

Additional Skills/Requirements (required):

• Promote the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
• Assess patients at intervals in accordance with facility or health care organization policies and procedures.
• Participate in preoperative assessment and planning for surgical patients specific to RNFA activities (eg, anatomical exposure, wound closure) in collaboration with perioperative team members.
• Develop an individualized perioperative patient plan of care.
• Implement the plan of care by:

• protecting the patient from injury caused by extraneous objects and chemical, electrical, laser, mechanical, and thermal sources.
• participating in accounting procedures to protect the patient from unintended retained surgical items.
• performing interventions necessary to ensure that the patient’s procedure is performed on the correct site, side, and level.
• assisting with management of the patient’s specimens as necessary.
• communicating the patient’s current status to relevant parties throughout the continuum of care.
• administering medications safely and correctly.
• performing interventions to maintain the patient’s wound and tissue perfusion at or above baseline levels.
• performing interventions to maintain the status of the patient’s genitourinary, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, endocrine, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems and fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balances at or above baseline levels.
• performing interventions to ensure the patient is at or returned to normothermia at the conclusion of the immediate postoperative period.
• performing interventions to protect the patient from surgical site infection.
• assessing the knowledge level of the patient or designated support person.
• providing education regarding the expected psychosocial response, nutritional management, medication management, pain management, wound management, and expected responses to the operational or invasive procedure.
• involving the patient or designated support person actively in decisions affecting his or her perioperative care and the rehabilitation process.
• protecting the patients’ rights, dignity, and privacy.
• providing age-specific, culturally competent, ethical care within legal standards of practice; and
• providing consistent and comparable care regardless of the setting.
• Function as an RN first assistant during operative and other invasive procedures by
• providing exposure through correct use of instruments, retractors, suction, and sponging techniques.
• handling and dissecting tissues in collaboration with the surgeon.
• clamping blood vessels, coagulating bleeding points, and ligating vessels in collaboration with the surgeon.
• placing drains as directed by the surgeon; and
• suturing muscle, fascia, subcutaneous, and skin in collaboration with the surgeon.
• Follow selected surgical patients postoperatively specific to RNFA activities (eg, postoperative rounding, dressing changes) in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.
• Evaluate the patient’s progress toward attaining outcomes.
• Transfer care as applicable.
• Delegate tasks according to the state Nurse Practice Act and job descriptions.
• Document nursing care accurately, completely, and legibly.
• Collaborate effectively with other disciplines as applicable.
• Participate in quality review and performance improvement projects.
• Participate in the performance appraisal process.
• Use problem-solving and conflict resolution skills to foster effective work relationships with team members.
• Serve as an educator, mentor, consultant, and resource to peers, colleagues, and others in relation to RNFA activities.
• Maintain regulatory, credentialing, and privileging requirements required for practice as an RNFA.
• Participate in ongoing educational and competency verification activities applicable to RN and RNFA activities.
• Act as a patient advocate and maintain privacy and confidentiality of individuals and health information.