Travel First Assist RN Jobs

Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean wage for registered nurses, including First Assist Registered Nurses (RNFA), was approximately $80,000 as of May 2020. However, the salary can vary significantly depending on the geographical location, level of experience, specialization, and the type of healthcare facility.

A First Assist Registered Nurse (RNFA) plays a crucial role in the surgical process, working directly alongside surgeons in the operating room to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Their responsibilities include providing preoperative and postoperative care, assisting during surgical procedures by handling surgical instruments and medical devices, suturing incisions, and managing patient status throughout the procedure. A surgical first assistant nurse also plays a critical role in patient care before and after surgery, providing preoperative and postoperative care, including patient preparation and recovery monitoring.

RNFAs also liaise between the surgical health care team members and the patients' families, contributing to a comprehensive and cohesive healthcare approach. It's worth noting that the level of involvement of an RNFA can vary based on the operation's complexity and specific hospital policies.

Education & License Requirements

A registered nurse needs to complete their associate degree or bachelor's degree at an accredited nursing program and take the National Council Licensure Exam NCLEX -RN Exam, which is a requirement to practice as a registered nurse in the United States. Once the NCLEX exam is passed, you meet the requirements by your state license board, and you obtain your RN license, then all that is left is to do is gain the necessary relevant experience in your specialty. For nurses who want to become a surgical assisting professional, you can explore experience as a post or perioperative registered nurse, critical care nurse, or intensive care unit nurse.

Certifications

Once you have the required experience, aspiring RNFAs should enroll in a RNFA program, which provides specialized education focused on surgical procedures and patient care during surgery. A first assistant program typically require an active RN license and may require a Certified Nurse, Operating Room (CNOR) certification. The curriculum includes both theoretical knowledge and practical training, covering areas such as surgical technology and protocols, patient management, and surgical techniques. Participants also gain hands-on RNFA clinical practice experience in the operating room under the supervision of experienced surgeons and nurses. The RNFA program duration can vary, typically ranging from several months to a year.

After successful completion of the RNFA program, you need to pass an exam to become certified.

Registered nurse first assistant positions are available in a variety of healthcare settings including general hospitals, specialized surgical centers, outpatient care centers, and private practices. In the United States, RNFAs are in demand in almost every state, with higher concentrations in urban areas due to the larger number of healthcare facilities where patients are more likely to undergo a surgical procedure.

While compensation offers can vary greatly depending on the contract or agency offering, pay packages for a registered nurse first assistant typically have four major components: hourly taxable wages, meals and incidentals, housing, and travel.

Hourly Pay

Full-time nurses working at healthcare facilities receive a salary, but most travel nursing employers offer hourly wages at a competitive weekly rate. Every pay package for a travel nurse must include a taxable hourly wage, and the amount can vary depending on the shift, location, and specialty required of the assignment.

Housing

Housing payments can be included in a payment from a staffing agency. This is typically offered to a travel nurse in two ways. Either the company is providing housing, or the travel nurse is taking the housing stipend. It is more beneficial for the traveler to take the housing stipend for two primary reasons. First, they will have a choice in where they stay. Everyone’s definitions of comfortable and acceptable are different. The second reason the housing stipend is more beneficial for them is that it can be given as a nontaxable amount.

Meals and Incidentals

Also known as per diems, meal and incidental stipends provide a daily budget for daily living expenses for travel nursing professionals. These standards vary depending on the cost of living in cities and states across the country.

Travel Expenses

Travel is the last portion of the pay package. Many recruiters may not even offer travel and instead put that money into the per diems or housing for their travel nurse so they are receiving the benefits over the entire contract, not just at the very beginning or end of the contract.

While a travel stipend can be used to cover the cost of a flight for the traveler, it is more often than not used to subsidize the traveler's expenses to and from an travel nursing assignment. Travel expenses can be offered as a reimbursement rate per mile, though many agencies will opt to offer a flat rate to and from an assignment.

Many travel nurses find work through recruitment agencies and marketplaces, which means you have better access to job boards to choose your schedule, location, and salary. When you begin browsing for travel advanced practice registered nurse jobs, be sure to consider the housing options, the benefits, the guaranteed hours' policy, and the recruiting company’s overall reputation.

The good news is that Fusion Marketplace has everything you need when it comes to finding the perfect travel nurse jobs. Here, you have the freedom to compare benefits, packages, and staffing agencies—all in one place. So find your next nurse job and build your travel nursing career today.