FAQs
Q: What kind of accreditation do formal RNFA programs have?
A: AORN states, “The RNFA programs should be associated with
schools of nursing at universities or colleges that are
accredited for higher education by an accrediting agency
that is nationally recognized by the Secretary of the US
Department of Education. The registered nursing program
should be approved by a state licensing jurisdiction for
nursing programs at the university, college, or community
college level or by another national or regional agency that
is nationally recognized by the Secretary of the US
Department of Education as a specialized accrediting agency
for nursing programs.”
NIFA's RNFA program meets all these standards
and has been CCI accepted since 1998. NIFA’s RNFA Program
2.0, presented through the College of Southern Nevada (CSN),
awards 3 College Credits recognized by the United States
Department of Education (U.S.D.O.E.).
CSN is accredited
through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and
Universities recognized by the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA). In addition, this RNFA Program is
presented through the School of Nursing at CSN, accredited
through the National League for Nursing Accrediting
Commission, Inc. (NLNAC).
Important: There are no accredited stand-alone RNFA programs
in the country (i.e., programmatic accreditation such as
NIFA's CAAHEP accredited
SA program).
Instead, all RNFA programs must be presented through
accredited nursing programs such as NIFA's through the
School of Nursing at the College of Southern Nevada.
Q: How do I get started
in the NIFA RN First Assistant Program 2.0?
A: It's easy! Just call us at 1-800-922-7747, press 1, and
you can enroll over the phone. On the following Monday, not
only will we begin getting you set up for your ONLINE
studies, but we will ship
you the most dynamic
Suture & Tying DVD Set and Practice Lab
ever produced and you can start mastering the surgical
techniques of the nation's top RNFAs. Everything is shipped
Express Mail at no charge.
Q: Is CNOR required for
the RNFA Program 2.0 ? What are the prerequisites?
A: You do not need CNOR to start the program (waived for
APN); however you'll need CNOR before you complete the
program. You must be a perioperative registered nurse with
at least two years of perioperative experience (waived for
APN). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or basic cardiac
life support certification (BCLS) is required. Prospects
should be competent in both scrubbing and circulating
(waived for APN). Check the AORN publication, “Standards,
Recommended Practices & Guidelines” for more information.
Q: Can I obtain my CNOR while matriculating through RNFA Program
2.0?
A: Absolutely--approximately half of our perioperative students
do this! The AORN has created a wonderful 30 hour
CNOR Preparation
course using some of the same books as our RNFA Program 2.0.
AORN is so sure you will pass CNOR that they promise a money
back guarantee. (AORN member fee: $199 Non-AORN member fee:
$299). If you add the 98 hours of home studies from your RNFA
program, you can get your CNOR and RNFA concurrently for a total
of only 128 hours of home coursework.
Q: I don't have a BSN.
Can I still enroll in this formal program?
A: AD and Diploma nurses can enroll in this program and
obtain their formal RNFA. You do not need a BSN.
Remember--all 50 states
recognize formal RNFA. (More in next question).
Q: But I thought I needed a
BSN for CRNFA?
A: That is no longer the case.
Effective August 1, 2008,
a bachelor’s degree in any field, along with the completion of
the existing CRNFA eligibility requirements, will be accepted in
order to sit for the CRNFA exam. All other CRNFA exam
requirements, including the requirement of a CNOR or APRN
credential, 2,000 RNFA practice hours, and completion of an
accepted RNFA program, remain unchanged. (If you do not have a
bachelor's degree and absolutely cannot sit for the CRNFA exam,
NIFA has secured an alternative certification--call NIFA).
Good news:
If you don't have a bachelors degree and thus can't sit for
CRNFA,
you would still be considered a formal RNFA by all 50 state BONs
and thus working within your scope
after you graduate from our Program.
CRNFA is voluntary.
Q: My hospital doesn't use or
recognize RNFAs, so why enroll?
A: Recognition of RNFA services is changing
dramaticallythroughout the country. Many states have passed
legislation that requires any private insurance carriers that
has a policy for paying for assisting services to reimburse
RNFAs who have attended a formal program. The AORN is promoting
similar legislation in most major states. This means that the
intraoperative role of RNFA will be more in demand. In addition,
more OR credentialing committees are requiring this formal
status before you can gain practice privileges. Enroll now and
get started immediately toward your formal RNFA credential.
Q: I graduated from nursing
school two months ago, but previously was a surgical
technologist for 11 years. Do I qualify for program eligibility
by virtue of my OR experience?
A: No. A candidate for the program must be a perioperative
licensed Registered Nurse for at least two years and CNOR or
eligible (waived for APN). Please refer to our Program
Prerequisites.
Q: If I am an advanced nurse practitioner without OR
experience, do I qualify to enroll?
A: Previous to enrollment, your competency will be assessed. All
nurse practitioners without OR experience will receive the
AORN Video Library
(if purchased individually, these presentations would cost over
$7,800) at a tremendously reduced fee to ensure their knowledge
of OR fundamentals and aseptic techniques (and much more).
During our Workshops, we provide all NP students an extra class
at the beginning of the week (along with extra reading
assignments pre-class). This extra seminar includes OR protocol,
OR aseptic techniques and other OR basics for non-OR students.
In addition, during the week you will perform as an RNFA and as
a “scrub.”
Q: I am an advanced nurse
practitioner and cannot attain two years perioperative
experience or CNOR. Is it true that this can be waived?
A: The experience prerequisite and CNOR are waived for qualified
advanced practice nurses. However, nurse practitioners must
be certified by the AACN, ANCC, AANP or an accepted national
certification before graduation from the program. Call us
and we will get you the accelerated training you need to become
a valuable member of the OR team.
Q: Why is NIFA's RNFA Program
2.0 a multi-specialty program?
A: Multi-specialty training is a definite benefit in making
hospital employees more marketable and flexible. But what if you
only specialize in one area? All RNFA programs must be based on
the modules of the Core Curriculum for RN First Assistant in
order to award the nationally recognized credential and lead to
national recognition. That means multi-specialty training–there
are no shortcuts. In addition, not taking the road of formal
training could be a detriment to
you and your surgeon in the areas of credentialing,
rights to practice, legally meeting state requirements, and
third party reimbursement denials.
We guarantee that upon graduating, and attending our 6 day or
3 day Workshop, you will be able to work in your own specialty
and in most other specialty areas using legally defensible,
standard techniques utilized by the nation's top RNFAs – or
we'll retrain you for free.
Q: When should I attend my
Workshop?
A: The workshop may be attended at any time convenient for you
two weeks after enrollment and can be finished concurrently with
your home studies. After attending the workshop you will have up
to 12 months to finish the entire program. (Note: NIFA classes
fill very quickly, so call early to reserve a seat).
Q: Do my home studies have to
be completed before attending a workshop?
A: No. You may go to the Workshop as early as two weeks after
enrolling in the program and then complete your studies later.
However, you must complete the 14 Hour Suture & Tying Video Set
and Practice Lab before attending the SutureStar WorkshopTM
and all required NIFA home studies must be completed before
entering your clinical internships.
Q: Isn't the best timefor an RNFA student to learn
surgical techniques during her/his internship with a
surgeon? Why does NIFA promote so many hours of hands-on
training?
A: Unfortunately, even a simple two handed knot tie
cannot be mastered on the job during an internship.
After reading the
New England Journal of Medicine
Dec. 2006 Survey you will completely understand why we
offer over 34 and up to 54 hours of lab training before
you move on to your first patient as an NIFA RNFA
intern. When you see the survey data, you will most
likely reserve a seat in these phenomenal Workshops
without delay!
Q: Where and when do
I obtain the clinical hours needed for my program?
A: You will log your hours at your place of employment
or facility. You will document all cases that require
the use of an assistant in surgery and RNFA behaviors.
You can start documenting these hours only after you
have attended the Workshop and completed all your home
study coursework.
Q: Can I use more
than one surgeon preceptor?
A: Yes, you may work and document your hours with more
than one surgeon; however, all must sign a Surgeon
Sponsor Form and fill out your student Evaluation Forms.
Q: Which cases may I
log?
A: You can log all cases that generally require an
Assistant at Surgery. For details, refer to "Physicians
as Assistants at Surgery: 2007 Study" by the American
College of Surgeons. Call a NIFA Student Representative
for details or visit
http://www.facs.org/ahp/pubs/2007physasstsurg.pdf
Q: They won't pay me
more for RNFA status, so why bother?
A: True, you may not earn more at this time. But if you
love surgery, you need to protect yourself and your
future. In the early 1980s only one State Board of
Nursing recognized the AORN's “Official Statement on RN
First Assistant.” Today, all 50 states officially
recognize that RNFA status only comes from completing a
formal CCI accepted program and consider RNFA services
as within the graduate's scope of practice in that
state. The American Nursing Association has also taken
this stance. Also, the time to enroll in a program is
before a surgeon offers you the opportunity of a
lifetime. With NIFA's training, you will most likely
land it!
Note: In
early 2009, NIFA RNFA Staffing offered its graduates a
job opening for a salary of over
$200,000 a year.
Q: I heard that they
did not reimburse RNFAs in our state. Is that true?
A: Typically, this question arises because, if you are
not an NP or PA, Medicare will not reimburse you for
your first assistant services. However, in the absence
of legislation, private pay insurance carriers decide
for themselves who they will or will not reimburse on
cases requiring an assistant. And in many states, those
carriers are forced to reimburse for RNFA services. NIFA
Medical Billing, Inc. has been successfully getting RNFA
reimbursements in over 30 states. You can reach them by
calling 1-888-322-6432 (press x202) or emailing
nifa@pacbell.net.
Q: When can I
officially call myself an RN First Assistant?
A: Upon successful completion of this CCI accepted
program, you will be awarded a formal RNFA Certificate
of Completion.
Q: Can you give me an overview of the entire RNFA
program again?
The
National Institute of First Assisting, Inc. (NIFA), a
Colorado Corporation, does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion,
marital status, pregnancy or age in any of its policies,
procedures, or practices, in compliance with the Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (pertaining to race, color, and
national origin), Title VII (pertaining to employment),
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (pertaining to
sex), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (pertaining to
disability) and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975
(pertaining to age).
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