Registered Nurse First Assist-Day Shift

Tell me about your OR experience and how you trained for first assisting.

What they are checking: Whether their two years of OR work and CNOR background prepared them for this role.

How do you adjust your assisting style to different surgeons?

What they are checking: Flexibility and the ability to anticipate each surgeon's way of working.

How do you keep your skills current as surgical techniques change?

What they are checking: Commitment to ongoing learning in a role that depends on technical skill.

How do you work with the circulator and scrub tech when you are both nurse and assistant?

What they are checking: Clear role boundaries that keep the team coordinated during a case.

A surgeon asks you to do something outside your privileges. What do you say?

What they are checking: Knowing the scope of a first assist and holding that line even with a respected surgeon.

Bleeding suddenly increases in the field. What do you do as first assist?

What they are checking: Calm response and teamwork during a bleeding emergency.

Walk me through how you provide exposure for a surgeon during an open abdominal case.

What they are checking: Hands-on skill with retraction and exposure, which is the core of first assisting.

How do you assist with hemostasis under the surgeon's supervision?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the techniques they may use and the limits of their privileges.

Describe how you perform a layered closure.

What they are checking: Knowledge of tissue layers, suture choice and technique that affect healing and infection risk.

How do you position a patient according to the surgeon's preference while protecting their anatomy?

What they are checking: Balancing surgeon preference with the patient's physical limits to prevent injury.

How do you place and secure drains, and what do you check before closing?

What they are checking: Attention to detail on devices and drains that can cause complications if done wrong.