Registered Nurse First Assist (RNFA) - Operating Room - Per Diem - Shift

Kern Medical has been a community cornerstone since its founding in 1867. Today, we are an acute care teaching center with 222 beds, offering the only advanced trauma care between Fresno and Los Angeles. Kern Medical offers a range of primary, specialty, and multi-specialty services including high-risk pregnancy care, inpatient psychiatric services integrated with county mental health programs, and a growing network of outpatient clinics providing personalized patient-centered wellness care.  Kern Medical cares for 15,500 inpatients and 125,000 clinic patients a year.

• Per Diem employees supplement department staffing needs, with no guarantee of minimum hours.
• Must be willing and available to work four (4) shifts per six (6) week scheduling period.

Compensation:

The estimated pay for this position is $69.8842 to $85.9488. This reflects only a portion of the total compensation package for this position. Additional compensation may be available for this role through differentials, incentives, and bonuses.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

The RNFA is a registered nurse with a high degree of experience and training specific to perioperative patient care.  The RNFA practices under the direct supervision of the surgeon during the intraoperative phase of the perioperative experience. The role of the RNFA to the surgeon requires the performance of a combination of nursing and medical function tasks.

Essential Functions:

• Creates and sustains an environment that supports compassionate caring through authentic presence with the patient and family, building trusting relationships, creates connections that embrace mind, body, spirit modalities to mobilize the patient’s strengths and abilities toward healing.

• Assists with the positioning, prepping and draping of the patient or perform these tasks independently, if so directed by the surgeon.
• Communicates with the patient’s physician (operating surgeon) immediately, when the patient’s condition changes or deteriorates, or abnormal lab or diagnostic testing results are available.
• Provides homeostasis by applying electrocautery tip to clamps or vessels in a safe and knowledgeable manner as directed by the surgeon; sponges and utilizes pressure as necessary; utilizes suction techniques; applies clamps on superficial vessels and the tying or electrocoagulation of them as directed by the surgeon.
• Handles tissues as directed by the surgeon.
• Assists the surgeon directly by controlling bleeding, suturing and other surgical needs.
• Provides exposure through appropriate use of instruments, retractors, suctioning, and sponging techniques. Manages all instruments in the operative field to prevent obstruction of the surgeon’s view. Retains manually controlled retractors in the position set by the surgeon with regard to surrounding tissue. Anticipates retraction needs with knowledge of the surgeon’s preferences and anatomical structures.
• Assists surgeon with wound closure of layers; sutures the peritoneum, fascia, subcutaneous tissue and skin.
• Assists surgeon at the completion of the surgical procedure by providing knot tying, affixes and stabilizes all drains, cleaning the wound and applying the dressings.
• Provides other advanced assistance, such as mobilization of tissue, patient positioning and directing other surgical team members with specific individual tasks.
• In extreme emergencies, assists on procedures that present an unusual hazard to life.
• Assists with applying casts or splints as needed.

• Collects and documents data for assigned patients according to prescribed methods.

• Assists with the perioperative patient assessment, teaching, management and planning for the perioperative experience.
• Provide patient care by circulating or scrubbing surgical procedures or cleaning operatories as needed when First Assist duties are not assigned.

• Uses education, experience and interpretation of assessment data to prioritize appropriate nursing actions;
• Establishes nursing diagnoses, uses appropriate resources to formulate a written plan of care; evaluates the effectiveness of nursing interventions and revises patient care plans, as necessary.

• Anticipates and effectively manages rapidly changing situations by rapid grasp of changes in patient status and problem situations. Prioritizing and responds quickly and appropriately to identify the need for and activation of emergency protocols and assistance.
• Performs and documents the nursing process consistent with scientific principle and hospital policy as required by patient assignment using critical thinking and nursing judgment.
• Contributes to te