Merrie Quigley - Gothenburg Health RN First Assist (RNFA)

Gothenburg, Nebraska, April 24, 2017 – Merrie Quigley, Gothenburg Health Surgical RN has successfully completed her Registered Nurse First Assist (RNFA) program through the National Institute for First Assist (NIFA) program out of Denver, Colorado.

In order to qualify for the RNFA program, Quigley was required to have at least two years of PeriOperative nursing experience in both scrub and circulating roles in addition to certification in OR nursing or Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR). The in-depth RNFA training had a two-year completion window with the first phase completed through home studies and distance learning exams. The second phase was focused on getting 130 hours of mentorship in the OR with four surgeons at Gothenburg Health. Merrie also completed a five-day suture workshop in Denver as part of the NIFA training program.

With her recently acquired qualification, Quigley’s role in the OR is greatly expanded. Assisting a surgeon was once a job reserved primarily for surgical residents or other physicians. Now this OR role has expanded to include nurses like Quigley who have received specialized training through the RNFA program. Quigley’s expanded role includes usage of instruments and medical devices, providing surgical site exposure, handling and/or cutting tissue, providing hemostasis, suturing and so much more. "I am so excited that the RNFA role provides a unique opportunity for me to function in an expanded role, working in collaboration with the surgeon and healthcare team members to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Assisting during a surgical procedure is the main focus of my role, opportunities exist for me to integrate the PeriOperative nurse role throughout the continuum of care for the patients," says Quigley a member of the Association of perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) the Coordinating Council of the RNFA Specialty Assembly. The RNFA role is recognized within the scope of nursing practice by the nurse practice acts in all 50 states.

Gothenburg Health is a premier healthcare facility serving the community of Gothenburg and surrounding areas with state of the art facilities and highly skilled employees. “Enhancing and promoting surgical services has been a focal point of Gothenburg Health over the last three years,” states Mick Brant Gothenburg Health CEO. “Merrie’s investment in advancing her surgical abilities is a major professional accomplishment and a great example of our employee’s commitment to providing the best patient care and experience possible.”

Gothenburg Health opened their new surgical wing in 2015. Included are two large operating rooms and an endoscopy suite. Emergency and elective surgical procedures are done here including general surgery, gynecological and obstetrical. Visiting specialists in Ophthalmology, General Orthopedics, Cardiology, Pulmonology, Urology, Orthopedic Spine, and Podiatry travel to Gothenburg to provide services and many times also perform surgeries here.