Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

USF Health is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

A maximum of 50.5 contact hours may be earned by learners who successfully complete this nursing continuing professional development activity. 

Prerequisites for Perioperative RN Applicants:

• Current, unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license: All applicants must be Registered Nurses with a minimum of 2 years of perioperative experience (preferably including scrub and circulating experience) at the time the program begins.
• Completed a BSN degree before entering the program from an accredited institution.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for all undergraduate coursework.
• Certification of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
• Verification of Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR) or completion of CNOR by the end of the RNFA program.
• Two (2) letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s experience as an RN and the applicant’s knowledge, judgment, and skills specific to perioperative patient care.

Prerequisites for APRN Applicants:

• Current, unencumbered APRN license and national certification.
• Completed a Master's degree or higher in nursing from an accredited institution.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for all graduate coursework.
• Certification of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
• Two (2) letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s experience as an RN and the applicant’s knowledge, judgment, and skills specific to perioperative patient care.
• Documented clinical experience in perioperative or surgical settings preferred.

Fee: $6,500.00

Location: Hybrid course

Commercial Support: None

Please review the application requirements carefully and ensure that all required documents are submitted in full by the deadline via email to Dr. Alicia Rossiter at arossite@usf.edu.  

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. 

Required Documents

Applicants must submit the following:

• Official transcripts from your completed BSN program
  • If applying as an APRN, transcripts from your master’s degree program are also required
• Evidence of current certifications
• Two (2) letters of recommendation

Submission Guidelines

• All documents must be current, legible, and submitted as instructed in the application portal.
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm that all materials are received by the deadline.

As a result of participating in this activity, the learner will be able to:

• Describe the phases of operative patient management.
• Demonstrate methods utilized as a surgical assistant.
• Discuss appropriate documentation that is required according to established protocols.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge to various situations.

More information regarding certification and RNFA standards can be obtained in Program Handbook.

Certification is not required to function under the Florida Nurse Practice Act as an RNFA. The program is completed within 1 year which involves online classes and a yearly subscription to AORN.

Completion of a program that meets the National Assistant at Surgery Certification (NASC) guidelines. Our RNFA Program is officially recognized by NASC and listed among its acceptable RNFA programs for certification eligibility.

For national information, visit AORN.org.

For testing information, visit National Assistant at Surgery Certification (NASC).