Registered Nurse Cardiac First Assistant
About the job
- Hold a California registered nurse license.
- Hold CNOR certification.
- Hold BLS certification.
- Obtain ACLS within one year of hire or transfer.
- Complete a recognized RNFA training program.
- Have at least two years of perioperative registered nurse experience; scrub and circulating experience is preferred.
- Assist with cardiovascular surgical procedures as directed by the surgeon.
- Function as the first assistant in general and obstetric surgical suites.
- Provide intraoperative tissue retraction, hemostasis, tissue manipulation, and wound closure as directed by the surgeon.
- Use surgical instruments and suture material to manipulate and suture tissue as directed by the surgeon.
- Before surgery, review the procedure, open and set up the operating room, perform preoperative counts or patient assessment in coordination with the circulating registered nurse, transfer and position the patient, and assist with anesthesia induction when requested by the circulating registered nurse.
- During surgery, scrub in, assist with patient draping, assist the surgeon within standardized procedures, and assist with counts as needed.
- After surgery, assist with dressings and transfer from the operating room bed, accompany the patient to the post-anesthesia care unit when required, and clean and turn over the operating room.
- Assist with specialty procedures, which may include minimally invasive vein or arterial harvesting, deep fascia closure, insertion of invasive monitoring lines, and cardiac sternal wound closure.
- Assess basic patient needs, recognize abnormal diagnostic data and potential problems related to surgery, and communicate relevant information to the physician and surgical team.
- Adjust assessment criteria to patients’ ages and psychosocial and physical needs.
- Implement and evaluate the patient’s plan of care and organize or adjust assignments according to patient needs.
- Facilitate safe transfer to the appropriate postoperative unit and communicate with receiving patient care staff.
- Use patient care equipment and instrumentation; know emergency equipment and supplies, including crash, airway management, and malignant hypothermia carts; and promptly report defective equipment.
- Administer medications properly, including prescribed intravenous medications, and know each medication’s actions, indications, precautions, adverse reactions, dosage, and route before administration.
- Maintain communication and rapport with patients and families, provide and document emotional support, and keep them informed of progress.
- Meet patient hygiene needs and maintain a clean, safe immediate environment.
- Maintain a current and complete medical record and coordinate and document patient admission, transfer, discharge, assessments, treatments, observations, and outcomes.
- Provide care appropriate to the population served, accounting for patient and family growth and development and cultural, linguistic, spiritual, gender, and age-specific needs, in accordance with the plan for provision of care.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing, or be currently enrolled in a registered nurse-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
- Have perioperative registered nurse experience in both scrub and circulating roles.
About the company
Kaweah Health is a public, not-for-profit health system based in Visalia, California, serving the Central Valley since 1963. It operates a 581-bed medical center, a large outpatient clinic, and several facilities, offering emergency care, cancer treatment, cardiovascular services, rehabilitation, and other medical services. It is the largest hospital system in Tulare County and a certified trauma center. As a not-for-profit, it reinvests earnings back into the community to fund new services, facilities, and programs, with a strategic focus on accessible, high-quality healthcare. The organization has launched an financial recovery plan, “Operation Back in Black,” to improve finances through revenue enhancement and cost reduction, and partners with Medline to enhance supply chain and operational efficiency. Its goal is to provide broad, high-quality healthcare to its community while strengthening financial sustainability and expanding services as needed.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$8.7M
Headquarters
Visalia, California
Founded
1963
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Kaweah reported $1.1 million profit for fiscal 2026's first six months.
- Vacant-position cuts, not layoffs, helped offset projected $25 million Medicaid pressure.
- Akers Clinic, Tulare therapy, and lab consolidation expand outpatient capacity in 2026.
What critics are saying
- Gary Herbst retires June 30, 2026, forcing a nationwide CEO search during recovery.
- Burger wrongful-death litigation and RN licensing actions spotlight emergency-department failures in 2025.
- One budget shock or payer-rate cut could revive 2023 default fears and closure talk.
What makes Kaweah Health unique
- Visalia's only trauma center and largest Tulare County hospital anchors regional care.
- 2026 youth mental-health expansion adds 22 beds and admits children as young as 12.
- Kaweah's residency, nursing, and clinic pipeline deepens local training and physician recruitment.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Sick Leave
- Paid Holidays
- Flexible Work Hours