An exclusive interview: The nurse spreading the word about surgical first assist nursing

I'm from Bakersfield, California, but I moved to Massachusetts in 2019 to attend the four-year accelerated RN to DNP program. In a year I got my RN license and now I'm entering the DNP part of the curriculum. For fun, I like to go surfing and scuba diving. I like going to CrossFit. In my time off I’m hanging out with friends or at my family's in California - I try to visit home as much as I can.

As far as my career aspirations, I hope to become a cardiothoracic surgery first assist NP - I was just admitted to the surgical first assist residency at UMass Medical School and I’ll be doing my residency this year. I'm starting the didactic portion next week and proceeding to the preceptorship next spring, and after that I'll be returning back to my DNP study.

To go on that surgical track you have to get the RNFA - or Registered Nurse First Assist - certificate. You can be a first assist as a nurse, but my goal is to be a first assist as an advanced practice provider, so you typically go through a one-year program. The national organization NIFA offers that to students, but I chose to do it through my school because it was convenient. UMass Medical School is actually the only school in Massachusetts that offers the program.

My story is a little different: I actually started out on the family nurse practitioner track. I thought what I wanted to do as an NP was work in primary care and take my time with my patients. I realized through clinical rotations in nursing school, and reflecting back on my life, that my true passions lie in the acute care setting in the hospital.

Francis Sabas has years of experience in the healthcare industry, and is working to become a first assist nurse practitioner in cardiothoracic surgery. Sabas holds a bachelor’s in biology from the University of California - Irvine and a master’s of science in biomedical professions from Lincoln Memorial University. He is now working towards his doctorate of nursing practice at University of Massachusetts Medical School, and is beginning his surgical first assist residency this year. Right now, he is working as a licensed registered nurse in the Cardiac Telemetry/Neuro Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Needham, Mass. He is also a part-time YouTube vlogger highlighting the intricacies of the life of a nurse and as a first assist surgical NP student.

NurseDeck Insider Perspectives is a 100% free publication established to spread awareness and build valuable connections with the nursing community. We do not work with advertisers