WHY NIFA? BECAUSE ALL DISCIPLINES
TOUCHING A PATIENT MUST BE PROFICIENT
Unapparelled Student Support
Get assistance 40 hours a week through our dedicated 800 line or by email. Our experts are ready to answer all your questions about the expanded role of a first assistant.
Unrivaled Hands-On Training
Our SutureStar™ Workshops provide up to 30 times more suturing opportunities at the table, offering versatile, cross-over skills addressing most all service lines — ensuring you’re fully prepared for real-world practice.
Proven Excellence Since 1998
We are committed to your success. If needed, we’ll retrain you at no additional cost, guaranteeing mastery of top-level first assistant skills.
RN First Assistant:
RN First Assistant
First Assistant Training:
Did you know that RN First Assistant is one of the highest paid and ‘in demand’ roles in the OR?
Direct benefit of a well-trained RNFA:
RNFAs help improve efficiency, reduce
complications, and promote faster healing with precise surgical assistance. They can anticipate
the surgeon’s needs, reducing operative time and optimizing workflow.
NIFA trained RNFAs become proficient in suturing, hemostasis, tissue handling, and other intraoperative techniques. Their expertise in wound closure and hemostasis help minimize bleeding and infection risks.
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Are you a Nurse Practitioner wishing to work for a surgeon’s group who has been told by Credentialing that you can’t assist at their facility(s) without an RNFA? If so, the following AORN Position Statement on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in the Perioperative Environment (2014) is most likely the reason why: “The APRN practicing in the perioperative environment as a first assistant at surgery …is required, as of January 1, 2016, to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe, competent surgical first assisting services by completing a program that covers the content of the AORN Standards for RN First Assistant Education Programs …” NIFA is the nation’s largest trainers of NPs in the RNFA role.
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5 weeks of surgical rotations in PA school is not enough and a 2 year residency may be too much! A surgical Physician Assistant/Associate (PA), plays a crucial role in the surgical team, assisting surgeons before, during, and after procedures. It’s time to fast-track a surgical career to the next level with NIFA SutureStar training!
Read MoreRNFA Tuition Increase Has Been POSTPONED!
Many have mentioned that they are waiting on tax and employer reimbursements to fund tuition. To give you more time to plan, we have postponed our tuition increase.
NEW EFFECTIVE DATE: May 25, 2026
Thank you for trusting NIFA with your future. We're here to help you succeed.
Request More InfoBUILD CONFIDENCE. LEARN TECHNIQUES. EARN MORE.
Hear what our past students and graduates liked most about our SutureStar™ Workshops and why they recommend them to friends and peers.
View More Testimonials
LOREN BALDWIN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
“...the repetition, the skills, the different techniques, from adult medicine, to trauma, to pediatrics, you're gonna see and learn a gamut of skills.”
DANA ULRICH
Registered Nurse
“...When I started looking into training, I talked with some of the RNFAs at work and this program came highly recommended!”
THOMAS VEGA
RNFA Graduate
“...I graduated this course 10 years ago, but came back to revisit my skills, especially for things I'm not doing regularly.”
TENLEY JOHNSON
Surgical Team Member
“...I just took a role with an orthopedic surgical team and I think these skills will help me understand what's happening in the OR.”
Upcoming SutureSTAR™
Workshops
NIFA offers over 20 dates in 16 different cities. We have monthly payment options. VIEW ALL WORKSHOPS