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Industry: Email Alert RSS FeedMarketing the RN First Assistant Role
AORN Journal, August, 2000 by Timothy Homan, Althea Dunscombe
Registered nurse first assistants (RNFAs) are educated to collaborate with surgeons and health care team members to perform safe surgical procedures with optimal outcomes for the patient. They must acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and judgment needed for clinical practice. The RNFA practices in collaboration with, and at the direction of, the surgeon during the intraoperative phase of the perioperative experience.(1)
The qualifications for an RNFA include
* 24 months of perioperative nursing experience;
* completion of an RNFA program that includes didactic and supervised clinical practice, is based on AORN's core curriculum for the RNFA, and complies with AORN education standards for the RNFA;
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* current licensure as an RN, and
* a demonstrated knowledge of the surgeries in which the RNFA participates.
Those RNFAs who are interested in establishing the RNFA role in their health care setting need to consider how to market this role, particularly if it is new to their facility.(2) The goal of these marketing efforts is to establish the RNFA role, while also securing the actual job.
Marketing the RNFA role starts with four core questions.
* What services should be offered?
* To whom can these services be offered?
* Why would the facility want these services?
* What sets an RNFA apart from their competition?
Nurses wanting to secure RNFA positions have to let their customers know who they are, and what services they offer.(3) Marketing begins by looking at the internal and external environments. Assessing strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) in the internal environment, and opportunities (O) and threats (T) in the external environment is a SWOT analysis.(4) The SWOT analysis comprises a thorough investigation of an RNFA's individual situation.
The SWOT analysis begins by looking inward at individual strengths and weakness. What is the RNFA's value, and what do they offer? What skills and knowledge within the parameters of their nursing practice will they bring to the relationship between themselves and the health care facility? Different responsibilities exist when working for a physician, so individuals should determine the skills and knowledge they have that will be useful in the office environment. Factors to consider in the SWOT analysis include
* quality,
* customer service,
* productivity or versatility, and
* reputation.
The next step is to consider the external environment (ie, opportunities and threats). Factors to consider include
* customers,
* prospective customers,
* competition,
* government and regulatory bodies,
* legal issues, and
* the economic environment.
A SWOT analysis provides individuals an opportunity to build on their strengths, explore their opportunities, shore up their weaknesses, and avoid their threats. The next step is to establish a strategic marketing plan.
A MARKETING OVERVIEW
Marketing is the process of creating customers for services.(5) A marketing plan helps with this process. Creating the marketing plan requires that several sets of questions be answered, including the following.
* What does the RNFA have to offer?
* Who are the target markets?
* What are the unique benefits of the services that will be provided?
* Who are the current customers, and why do they want RNFA services?
* Is there a demand for the new services?
* What services can the RNFA provide that their competitors cannot?
The answers to these questions are the foundation of the marketing effort. Carefully examine a variety of RNFA services that can be offered, and then analyze the market, potential position in the market, and strengths and weaknesses.
DETERMINING THE SERVICES
An RNFA has a unique education background that began in nursing school, continued throughout his or her perioperative nursing experience, and was further enhanced by didactic and clinical education preparation. An RNFA's perspective of the patient is oriented differently from that of any other health care worker. There is a collaborative practice between the RNFA and the physician that leads to organized, efficient, and prompt care.(6)
The RNFA role provides a unique opportunity to improve care coordination from surgical scheduling to patient discharge.(7) Although assisting during a surgical procedure is the main focus of the role, opportunities exist to integrate the perioperative nurse role throughout the continuum of care. Expanding on the RNFA role should lead to greater patient compliance, enhanced patient communication, and better coordination among health care providers.
TARGET MARKETS
Target markets are the people who permit individuals to work as RNFAs or who use RNFA services. Learn their needs, their preferences, and the benefits they want from the first assistant role, and be prepared to meet those needs. Knowing the benefits they are looking for helps RNFAs market their services more effectively. This customer focus also may help individuals make strategic decisions.(8) To decide on a target market, answer such questions as, "Who is most likely to want an RNFA?" and "What wants, cares, and needs do customers have that an RNFA can satisfy?" Rank different segments of the market (eg, surgeons, health care settings) in terms of their likelihood of using RNFA services.
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