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.”

The NIFA RNFA program meets all the standards above and has been CCI accepted since 1998. NIFA RNFA programs are presented through the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) awards College Credits recognized by the United States Department of Education (U.S.D.O.E.) and; CSN is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). In addition, our programs are presented through the accredited School of Nursing at CSN accredited through the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC).

NOTE: Most RNFA programs (such as NIFA's) are ‘institutionally’ accredited - not ‘programmatic’. Whereas, most surgical assistant programs for surgical technologists in the first assisting role are programmatically accredited.

A: It's easy! When you decide to enroll, just call us at 1-800-922-7747, press one, and we will enroll you over the phone. On the following Monday, not only will we get you set up for you RNFA online studies, but we will also ship you the program in traditional home study form (for those of you who don't like looking at a computer screen for hours at a time). The home study shipment will include the most dynamic Suture & Tying DVD Set and Practice Lab ever produced for you to start mastering the surgical techniques of the nation's top RNFAs. Everything is shipped Express Mail at no charge.

A: You do not need CNOR to start the program; however you'll need your CNOR before you complete the program. You must be a perioperative registered nurse with at least two years of perioperative experience. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or basic cardiac life support certification (BCLS) is required. Prospects should be competent in both scrubbing and circulating (waived for NP). Check the AORN publication Standards, Recommended Practices & Guidelines for more information.

A: Recognition of RNFA services is dramatically changing throughout the country. Many states have passed legislation that requires private insurance carriers who have 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. Enroll now and get started immediately toward your RNFA credential.

A: All candidates for program approval must be a perioperative licensed Registered Nurse for at least two years and CNOR or eligible. Please refer to our program Prerequisites.

A: Previous to enrollment, your competency will be assessed. All nurse practitioners without OR experience will receive the AORN Video Library to ensure their knowledge of OR fundamentals and aseptic techniques (and much more). During our six-day SutureStar™ workshop, we give 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 technique and other OR basics for those non-OR students. In addition, during the week you will perform as an RNFA and as a “scrub.”

A: The experience prerequisite and CNOR are waived for qualified advanced practice nurses. However, nurse practitioners must be certified by the AACN or AANP before graduation from the program. Call us and we will get you the accelerated training you need to become an valuable member of the OR team.

A: Multi-specialty training would be 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 certification. That means multi-specialty training–there are no shortcuts. In addition, not taking the road of formal training could have negative effects on both you and your surgeon, regarding the subjects of credentialing, rights to practice, legally meeting state requirements and third party reimbursement denials. We've turned this multi-specialty requirement into a wonderful advantage for you. Here's how: To be a well-rounded and knowledgeable RNFA, there are 148 standard Surgical Skill Sets that are common to most all specialties. We focus your training on these. Every procedure NIFA teaches you has been specifically chosen because of its emphasis on deploying these advanced Surgical Skill Sets.

If you work in a specialty, call us regarding RNFA Program II where we can customize your program and put an added emphasis on your particular specialty.

We guarantee that upon graduating, you will be able to work in your own specialty and in most any specialty using legally defensible, standard techniques utilized by the nation's top RNFAs – or we'll retrain you for free!

A: The workshop may be attended at any time convenient to you and concurrently with your home studies. After attending the workshop you have up to 12 months to finish the entire program. (Note: NIFA classes fill very quickly, so call early to reserve a seat.)

A: No. You may go to the workshop as early as two weeks after enrolling in the program, then complete your studies later. However, you must have completed the 14 Hour Suture & Tying Video Set and Practice Lab before attending the SutureStar Workshop^TM AND all required NIFA home studies must be completed before entering your clinical internships.

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 SutureStar WorkshopTM and completed all coursework. Note: This is why more perioperative nurses and NPs choose NIFA training. The less hands-on lab a program offers you, the less chance you have to successfully matriculate through your cases as an RNFA intern. NIFA's 54 hours of lab before seeing your first patient as an RNFA intern will start you off running.

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.

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

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 behavior as within the graduate's scope of practice in that state. The American Nursing Association has also taken this stance.

A: Typically, this question arises because Medicare will not reimburse non-masters prepared assistants for these 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. Still, the reimbursements may not be easy to get. NIFA Medical Billing, Inc. is successfully getting these reimbursements in over 30 states. You can reach them by calling 1-888-322-6432 press 202 or emailing nifa@pacbell.net.

A: Upon successful completion of this CCI accepted program, you will be awarded a formal RNFA Certificate of Completion.

 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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