for Perioperative Nurses, NPs and RNFAs

August 17, 2009 Vol. 2, No. 8

Questions about RNFA training, credentialing, reimbursements, state issues, or just want to "talk shop" between cases? Call Emily on the NIFA HOT LINE! She'll answer your question or immediately direct you to the right person for an answer. Call 1-800-92ASSIST, press 1.

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RNFA = Job Security?

Ready for some uplifting news? Last month we polled our RNFA graduates and asked how they've been weathering the recession - specifically, if having their RNFA has helped them with job security during these hard economic times. While some had experienced downsizing, 70% of the responses were extremely positive. Here are just two examples:

"With fewer residents available to assist with cases, the RNFAs are very busy. Because the RNFAs can scrub, circulate, and assist, the charge nurse has more flexibility in making assignments."

Joanne Niwa, NIFA RNFA Graduate

"Funny you should ask. My job here has increased in hours. Due to decreases in nursing positions our cases run longer into the afternoon and the night. . . . Other services are asking for my assistance, especially general and ortho. As I am an OR employee not a service employee it makes switching easier. . . . If anything I feel my job is more secure."

Thomas LeBlanc, NIFA RNFA Graduate

Click here to read more responses from our graduates.

If you have a personal experience to share - a triumph, a tough lesson learned or a tip that might be of interest to our busy readers, please shoot an email to me at news@nifa.com. Even if you don't have time to write an article, just let me know your idea and how to contact you and I'll be glad to give you a call at your convenience. Thanks!

Julie Lancaster, Editor

Tips for Reading CT Images

Installment 3: Computed Tomography (CT) - Chest
By Michael Sheehan, MSN, RNFA, NPC, FCCM

Want to become more marketable as an RN First Assistant? Contributor Michael Sheehan, NP RNFA, encourages all RNFAs to increase their confidence and general knowledge by acquiring more skills in reading perioperative images. These skills not only make you more versatile but also improve your preparation and knowledge at the point of care, which is paramount to optimal patient outcomes. Sheehan is quite seasoned at reading CTs and X-rays and has shared his knowledge and skill with several NPs and CNSs at his facility.

In this third installment written exclusively for our readers, Sheehan turns his focus to CT scans. He takes the reader through a series of CT chest images representing different medical conditions and suggests the questions that you might ask yourself about each one. At the end of the article are several 3-dimensional reconstruction images based on CT technology, together with written explanations.

Read the full article here.

Previous articles in this series:

News: America's Best Hospitals

US News and World Report has announced its annual ranking of the best hospitals in the country. This year's study - the 20th annual - considered 4,861 hospitals from the standpoint of 16 specialties (cancer, heart disease, etc.) and found 174 that were ranked in even one of those specialties being considered. Of those, an "honor roll" of 21 hospitals scored high in at least six specialties.

Avery Comarow, the editor of the rankings, wrote in an article that appeared at MSN.com, "Unlike other rankings and ratings that grade hospitals on how well they execute routine procedures like outpatient hernia repair or manage common conditions like low-grade heart failure, the U.S. News approach looks at how well a hospital handles complex and demanding situations - replacing an 85-year-old man's heart valve, diagnosing and treating a spinal tumor, and dealing with inflammatory bowel disease, to name three examples. High-stakes medicine."

Click here to see U.S. News and World Report's Honor Roll and A-Z best hospitals index, and to browse rankings by specialty.

	NIFA's Favorite Links
Here are the five most-in-demand sites for our students, prospective students and grads. Enjoy! AORN Legislative Map RNFA Scope of Practice CNOR Certification Eligibility ACS List of Cases that Require an Assistant at Surgery AORN Perioperative Bookstore

NIFA helps fund OR Management Education monthly as an

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are strictly those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of NIFA. NIFA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the
accuracy of statements made by our contributors and does not accept any liability for error or omission. It is the responsibility of all perioperative personnel to work within and adhere to their facility bylaws and individual state scope of practice.

The National Institute for First Assisting (NIFA) is the nation's leader of distance learning RNFA programs. NIFA students receive over 34 hours of simulated skills hands-on lab training at our 3-day SutureStarXpress Workshops (or over 54 hours of simulated skills hands-on lab training at our 6-day SutureStar Workshops). NIFA's RNFA programs are CCI-accepted and meet all standards as set forth by the AORN for formal RN First Assistant programs, taking Perioperative Nurses and NPs to expert levels in the expanded role of Registered Nurse First Assistant.