Registered Nurse First Assist Heart Team

BJC HealthCare; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Signing bonus

Tuition Assistance

Job summary

Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis County seeks an experienced RN First Assistant for cardiovascular surgery in the Cardiothoracic Operating Room. The role requires CNOR and CRNFA training with 2–5 years of perioperative nursing experience.

Advance via the BJC RN Career Ladder with potential pay increases and comprehensive benefits. Shift options include 8- or 10-hour days, with weekly late/overnight calls and a weekend cycle every 6–7 weeks.

Qualifications

• Nursing diploma or associate's degree.
• RN license is required.
• CNOR and Certified First Assistant preferred.
• Bachelor's in Nursing is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Acts as an expanded perioperative first assistant to cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgeons in the CTOR.
• Performs focused pre-operative nursing assessments and communicates outcomes.
• Functions as a team member to improve perioperative safety, efficiency and patient care.
• Monitors patient response and updates care plans accordingly.
• Provides first-assist support in complex cardiac cases (e.g., CABG, valve surgery, TAVR) and assists with vessel harvesting.

Education

Nursing Diploma/Associate's

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Additional Information About the Role

• Option to work 8 or 10 hour shifts
• 630A start time
• 3 ORs for hearts
• Call:
  • One late shift and one overnight per week
  • One weekend call shift (Friday-Sunday) every 6-7 weeks
• Preference for CT or cath lab experience
• Rate of pay may exceed maximum listed
• Signing bonus
• Comprehensive benefits

The BJC Registered Nurse Career Ladder differentiates BJC as the place for nurses to work in the greater St. Louis area.

This is a tool to empower nurses to work at the top of their license and own their career progression.

The BJC RN Career Ladder promotes professional development, leadership, collaboration, education and service excellence and gives staff the opportunity to continue doing what they do best - caring for patients - while having the opportunity to advance to the next step in their career.

Moves to higher ladder levels will result in a percentage increase of current pay that aligns with the new job description.

Overview

Missouri Baptist Medical Center, an acute care hospital in St. Louis County, offers a full continuum of medical and surgical services, including heart care, cancer, women and infants, breast health, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, stroke, therapy, wound and pain management services. The hospital has a 24‑hour adult emergency department and cares for pediatric patients at a separate emergency department in collaboration with St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Missouri Baptist is the first and only hospital in St. Louis County to be named a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The prestigious designation is the highest credential a health care organization can receive for nursing excellence and quality patient care. This recognition has been accomplished by less than nine percent of hospitals nationwide. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked the hospital #2 in the St. Louis metro area.

Known for its exceptional heart surgery program, Missouri Baptist Medical Center continually ranks among the very top hospitals for cardiac surgery in the state of Missouri. Ourheart team of surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses have performed more than 14,000 heart surgeries since the program was established in 1984. According to HealthGrades, Missouri Baptist is five‑star rated for both Coronary Interventions and Treatment of Heart Attack. In fact, Missouri Baptist is the only St. Louis area hospital to receive a 5‑star rating for better than average mortality rates for in‑hospital, 30‑days post‑discharge and 180‑days post‑discharge. Missouri Baptist has been five‑star‑rated for treatment of heart attack for seven years in a row (2005‑2011). Procedures include Aneurysm Repair, Valve Replacement/Repair, Atrial Fibrillation Surgery / Pulmonary Vein Isolation, Carotid Endarterectomy, Congenital Heart Surgery, Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization and Vascular Surgeries.

Preferred Qualifications

Role Purpose

Performs an expanded perioperative role as a first assistant to cardiovascular surgeons during surgical procedures in the Cardiothoracic operating room (CTOR). Complete didactic portion of the RNFA class, CNOR, and 120 supervised clinical hours, in addition to passing the CRNFA test within 6 months from the start of the course work.

Responsibilities

• Participates in professional development.
• Performs an expanded perioperative role as a first assistant to cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgeons during surgical procedures in the Cardiothoracic operating room (CTOR). Pre‑operatively performs a focused nursing assessment in reference to planned procedure. Analyzes the assessment data to determine nursing diagnosis. Identifies and communicates desired patient outcomes throughout the perioperative continuum.
• Functions as a member of the cardiothoracic surgical team and contributes to the overall efficiency of the perioperative department. Considers factors related to safety, effectiveness, efficiency, the environments and the cost in planning, delivering, and evaluating patient care.
• Monitors patients response and modifies plan of care accordingly.
• Provides First Assistant support in complex cardiac cases and procedures including, but not limited to: cardiac bypass surgery, aortic‑valve surgery, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Additionally, responsible for harvesting vessel for bypass procedures. Integrates knowledge, skills, and experiences to meet the needs of patients and families throughout the continuum to include patient and family education. Incorporates research findings into practice. Practices in an ethical manner using available resources to formulate ethical decisions. Advocates for individuals and groups related to perioperative health safety. Provides leadership in the profession and professional practice setting.

Minimum Requirements

Education

• Nursing Diploma/Associate's
• - Nursing

Experience

• 2-5 years

Supervisor Experience

• No Experience

Licenses & Certifications

• RN

Preferred Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's Degree
• - Nursing

Licenses & Certifications

• Certified First Assistant
• Cert Nurse OR (CNOR)

Benefits and Legal Statement

BJC Total Rewards

At BJC we’re committed to providing you and your family with benefits and resources to help you manage your physical, emotional, social and financial well‑being.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vison, life insurance, and legal services available first day of the month after hire date
• Disability insurance* paid for by BJC
• Annual 4% BJC Automatic Retirement Contribution
• 401(k) plan with BJC match
• Tuition Assistance available on first day
• BJC Institute for Learning and Development
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid Time Off benefit combines vacation, sick days, holidays and personal time
• Adoption assistance

To learn more, go to our Benefits Summary.

*Not all benefits apply to all jobs

The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Equal Opportunity Employer