Registered Nurse - First Assistant

Job summary

Assist surgeons during procedures by providing exposure, handling and dissecting tissue, controlling bleeding, suturing, and placing drains as indicated. Participate in preoperative assessment and planning, call rotation, and other perioperative duties, including scrubbing and circulating.

Job details

Your Opportunity: Are you looking for a welcoming small city atmosphere? Are you interested in a supportive community environment, diverse clinical experience, strong interdisciplinary collaboration, opportunities for professional growth, work-life balance and a meaningful rural nursing impact? Camrose offers affordable living, access to parks and walking trails, outdoor recreation and community events that support a balanced and family friendly lifestyle. Come join a dynamic, efficient Operating Room Team and help us provide excellence in patient care. The Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) is a perioperative nurse who may function as an assistant to the surgeon in the operating room during surgical procedures. The RNFA performs first assistant behaviors according to ORNAC standards and standardized hospital policies. In addition to first assisting, responsibilities may include circulating, scrubbing, and other duties as assigned. Responsibilities: Participates in the call rotation. Participates in preoperative assessment and planning for selected surgical patients. Recognizes safety hazards and initiates appropriate preventative and corrective actions. Provides exposure through appropriate use of instruments, retractors, suctioning, and sponging. Handles and dissects tissues in collaboration with the surgeon. Clamps blood vessels, coagulates bleeding points, ligates vessels, and performs other procedures in collaboration with the surgeon. Sutures muscle, fascia, subcutaneous, and skin tissue in collaboration with the surgeon. Places drain as surgically indicated. Description: The Registered Nurse (RN) participates in nursing assessments and interventions, care planning, implementing prescribed treatments, administering medications, evaluating treatments, and monitoring/documenting treatment progress and patient/resident response. Acting as an advocate, coordinator and liaison for the patient/resident, the RN identifies needs and sets priorities in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team. The RN facilitates patient/resident and family education and discharge planning, and may be required to act in a charge nurse capacity. The RN is responsible for the provision of care in accordance with established standards, and the Mission, Vision, Values, policies and procedures of Covenant Health. This position is covered by the terms and conditions of the UNA Collective Agreement. Classification: Registered Nurse Union: COV UNA Unit and Program: Operating Room Primary Location: St. Mary's Hospital Location Details: As Per Location Multi-Site: At (UNA only) FTE: 1.00 Posting End Date: 16-NOV-2026 Employee Class: Regular Full Time Date Available: 26-NOV-2026 Hours per Shift: 7.75 Length of Shift in weeks: 4 Shifts per cycle: 19 Shift Pattern: Days, Evenings, Nights, Weekends, On Call Days Off: As Per Rotation Minimum Salary: $44.56 Maximum Salary: $60.98 Vehicle Requirement: Not Applicable Required Qualifications: Graduate of a Registered Nurse program or recognized equivalent required. Active registration with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) required. Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider (Level C) required. If you have not practiced as a Registered Nurse within the last five (5) years, completion of the following free courses are also required: 1) CRNA Medication Administration Certificate - https://connect.nurses.ab.ca/home/%2Flearning-and-development%2Flearning-modules%2F 2) NextGenU Health Assessment Resources Certification - https://courses.nextgenu.org/course/view.php?id=271#section-0 Additional Required Qualifications: Graduate of a Perioperative Registered Nursing Program. Minimum 3 years current Operating Room Experience. Proficient in perioperative nursing practice as both scrub and circulating nurse with diversified operating room experience. Strong Communication and Interpersonal Skills. Excellent decision making and problem-solving skills. Models professional behavior. Demonstrates ability to exercise critical thinking. Preferred Qualifications: Graduate of a certified RNFA program. CNA Certification in Perioperative Nursing CPN(c) is required to practice as RNFA. Current ACLS. RNFA training may be provided to a suitable candidate.

What you’ll do

Assist surgeons during procedures by providing exposure, handling and dissecting tissue, controlling bleeding, suturing, and placing drains as indicated. Participate in preoperative assessment and planning, call rotation, and other perioperative duties, including scrubbing and circulating.

Requirements

Requires a registered nursing qualification, active registration with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta, Basic Life Support certification, and graduation from a perioperative nursing program. Candidates need at least three years of current operating room experience and proficiency as both a scrub and circulating nurse; a certified RNFA program and current ACLS are preferred, and RNFA training may be provided.

Listed skills

• Problem solving · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred
• interpersonal skills · Preferred
• Critical Thinking · Preferred
• Care Planning · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Perioperative Nursing
• Operating Room Scrubbing
• Circulating Nursing
• First Assisting
• Preoperative Assessment
• Surgical Tissue Handling
• Hemostasis
• Suturing
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Decision-Making
• Problem-Solving
• Communication
• Interpersonal Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Patient Education
• Care Planning

Job areas

• Healthcare

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