AORN Position Statement on RN First Assistants

Definition of RN First Assistant The RNFA is a perioperative registered nurse who: works in collaboration with the surgeon and other health care team members to achieve optimal patient outcomes; has acquired the necessary knowledge, judgment, and skills specific to the expanded role of RNFA clinical practice; intraoperatively practices at the direction of the surgeon; and does not concurrently function as a scrub person.