CONTENTS OF THE RNFA PROGRAM

This RNFA course is composed of three components and is based on the core curriculum for the RNFA. The first, or preclassroom component, is begun six weeks prior to the students' classroom experience. The students are provided a workbook to complete along with reading assignments from appropriate texts. Because the classroom experience is very intensive with much material to be covered in one week, the first component is essential to the entire course.

The second, or didactic, component consists of six full days of classroom presentations by a multidisciplinary faculty. The purpose of the didactic component is to teach the students basic principles of the RNFA role. A suturing and knot-tying lab is utilized to instruct the correct principles of tissue handling, suturing, and tying. Students also study legal and social implications, role responsibilities, surgical anatomy and physiology, wound healing and tissue handling, history and physical assessment, recognition of surgical hazards/complications and appropriate responses, validation of intraoperative nursing behaviors, and professional issues such as how to apply for practice privileges and reimbursement. During this component, the students are encouraged and assisted in developing preliminary plans for their Clinical Internship.

The third component is the Clinical Internship which follows the didactic class and usually takes place at the student's clinical facilities in which they are employed or practice. This component is conducted as a guided independent study. Students are permitted to progress at their own pace within the twelve months they are allowed to complete the course. The students work with on-site surgeon preceptors to practice what they have learned during the didactic session. 120 intraoperative first assisting hours must be documented. Learning activities are also included in the Clinical Internship in addition to the hours of actual first assisting. Communication is maintained between course faculty and the student during this component.

The student is evaluated by their preceptor (and RNFA mentor, if one is available) early and at the end of their internship to provide feedback on skills and knowledge gained. The students keep a learning activities diary and a surgical intervention participation log which is then mailed at intervals to the faculty for evaluation of their progress. Self-assessment checklists are also employed by the students during this component. The faculty facilitator follows the progress of the students through telephone, e-mail, written progress reports, and communication with the surgeon preceptor when necessary. Upon successfully completing the course, the students are awarded a certificate of completion and six college credits from Northern New Mexico Community College and Professional Nursing Seminars.