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Students in Surgery

Registered Nurse First Assistant, A.T.C.

Program Snapshot
Academic CredentialCertificate
Total Credit Hours9
Academic PathwayHealth Sciences
AdvisorBrittany Page, BAS, CSFA, CST
Coordinator, Surgical Services
850.769.1551 ext. 3551
bpage2@gulfcoast.edu

Academic Program SpecialistCrickett Pimentel
850.913.3311
Health SciencesGCSC@gulfcoast.edu

Pathway NavigatorTerri Thomas
850.819.3912
tthomas3@gulfcoast.edu

Visit my faculty page

Surgical Services Website Track your progress Degree Audit

Registered Nurse First Assistant, Certificate

Take the Next Step Toward Becoming a First Assistant

Now that you’ve been working as an operating room registered nurse (RN) or advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP), you realize that you want to do more in a surgical career. The registered nurse first assistant program is one of our Advanced Technical Certificate Programs (ATC) offered in Panama City, Florida, and prepares RNs for assisting the surgeon during surgery.

Graduates will meet the program completion requirements to sit for the RNAS-C and CRNFA certification examination provided all other minimum requirements by the National Assistants at Surgery Certification (NASC) are met.

Getting your RNFA certificate in nursing is an important way to fast-track your career into the Surgical Department. 

The 9-credit program is based on the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Core Curriculum for the RNFA.  Florida Law requires that a Registered Nurse hold the Certified PeriOperative Nursing (CNOR) certificate and attend an RNFA training course to function in the State of Florida as an RNFA. Out-of-state students should contact their respective Nursing Boards to verify the limitations or requirements necessary.

Upon successful completion of this National Assistant at Surgery Certification (NASC) approved program, the RNFA student will receive an RNFA-Advanced Technical Certificate and be eligible to sit for the national certification examination to become a Registered Nurse Assistant at Surgery-Certified (RNAS-C) through the National Assistant Surgery Certification board (NASC) https://nascertification.com/rnas-c/.

The program prepares students to become eligible for employment as an RNFA in the Operating Room setting. With further experience, students may become eligible to sit for the CRNFA exam, also offered by the National Assistant at Surgery Certification organization (NASC). See the AORN, CCI, and NASC websites for further information.

Man practicing Sutures

 

The goal of the program is to prepare competent entry-level RNFAs in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. The program prepares students by providing didactic, lab, and clinical experiences that meet the level of preparation as defined by the Association of PeriOperative Nurses' Core Curriculum for the Registered Nurse First Assistant.

The education of RNFAs for the practice of surgery encompasses education in basic sciences, training in cognitive and technical skills, development of clinical knowledge, and maturity in the acquisition of surgical judgment. Graduates are prepared to immediately serve patients and surgeons in any routine entry-level surgical setting. Laboratory and clinical experiences will address specialty equipment. 

This program is listed on the National Assistants at Surgery Certification (NASC) web page as the only RNFA program in Florida. The program meets all the AORN and NASC requirements for the core curriculum. In addition, we are associated with our accredited nursing programs: RN to BSN and ADN programs.

Registered Nurse First Assistant Certificate Course Requirements

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Perioperative Nursing Course
Registered Nurse First Assistant Courses

A complete list of courses with descriptions can be found in the Catalog

What can you do with a Registered Nurse First Assistant Certificate?

Where do you work?

  • Hospitals or ambulatory care centers
  • For a surgeon or surgical group
  • Join a group of surgical assistants or open your own business working with several surgeons
  • Opportunities abound, are you interested in traveling? You can apply for traveling assignments throughout the United States including Alaska and Hawaii.

What do graduates do?

  • Anticipate the next step assisting with the correct instrumentation, supply or equipment thereby facilitating the surgical procedure.
  • Work alongside surgeons, making rounds, seeing patients in the office, and assisting in surgery.

What does your work environment look like?

  • Usually full time; may require call for nights, weekends and holidays.
  • May require work shifts greater than 8 hours
  • May require standing long hours.
Hands with surgical instruments

Surgical Simulation Lab

Surgical Lab
This high-tech nursing lab in the George C. Tapper Health Sciences Building on the Panama City campus offers four high fidelity surgical operating room setups to practice and prepare for live surgery experiences.
Registered Nurse First Assistant
RNFA Class at GCSC
Gaining confidence and experience prior to the surgical case can facilitate your experience so you can gain more real life hands-on experience quickly due to the advance preparation.
Registered Nurse First Assistant
Who is Eligible for the Registered Nurse First Assistant, C.C.C. Program?
ITo be accepted into an RNFA program, the RN must have at least two years of professional nursing experience in the operating room environment and achieved the credential of CNOR (Certified Perioperative Nurse), or possess an advanced practice degree.
Why Choose Gulf Coast State College to Earn Your degree?
Gulf Coast State College’s nursing programs also have clinical site agreements with many hospitals and rehabilitation centers in the area, including Gulf Coast Medical Center and Bay Medical Center in Panama City. You learn about the scope of practice, expectations of the surgeon and practice your skills at the on-site lab workshops including: how to make initial incisions, injecting local anesthetics, insertion of trocars, exposing the surgical site, providing hemostasis, manipulation or dissection of tissue, insertion of drains, suturing, and management of the wound. As required by the AORN standards, the program does require at least a Bachelor's Degree with CNOR eligibility or licensure as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. If you do not have your Bachelor's Degree, the college offers a BSN or other BS degrees which are online and more economical than major universities.
Laura, RN, RNFA

Meet Laura, RN, RNFA, Cardiovascular Specialty

"Working in the operating room as a RNFA has been a valuable experience. I work in open heart surgery as a RNFA harvesting vein for bypass surgery and assisting during the surgical procedure. I have been a preceptor for the program, working with students and faculty. It is a great career!"
– Cardiovascular RNFA, Surgical Services Past Faculty, Bay Medical Sacred Heart 

Are you ready to Get Started?

Apply to GCSC

Visit the Gulf Coast admissions page to learn more about the application process.

Consult the Gulf Coast State College Catalog for specific program and course information.

Apply to Gulf Coast

Apply for Financial Aid & Scholarships

There are many options available to help you pay for college. Find out more about  scholarships and financial aid at Gulf Coast State College.

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Register for Classes

Check out the class registration dates and plan your schedule today.

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Gulf Coast State College does not discriminate against any person in its programs, activities, policies or procedures on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, marital status, religion, age, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. All questions or inquiries regarding compliance with laws relating to non-discrimination and all complaints regarding sexual misconduct or discrimination, may be directed to Amanda Reed, Executive Director, Human Resources/Title II/504/Title IX Coordinator and Employment Equity Officer, Gulf Coast State College, 5230 W. US Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401.