Admission Requirements

As per the AORN Standards for RN First Assistant Education programs (2014), admission requirements shall include the following:

• BS in Nursing from an accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for baccalaureate nursing degree and subsequent graduate work. 
• An unencumbered New York state RN license.
• Verification that the student has or is eligible for one of the following credentials:

1. CNOR®—if the student is not certified as a CNOR at the time of admission, proof of certification must be submitted before a certificate of completion is awarded.
2. APRN—proof of recognition must be submitted before a certificate of completion is awarded.
3. APRNs without experience in perioperative patient care must undergo an assessment by the program instructor. The assessment should include competency in preoperative and postoperative care, aseptic technique, scrubbing, gowning, gloving, creating and maintaining a sterile field, and positioning the patient. If it is determined that the applicant’s knowledge or skills are deficient, faculty members in the educational institution shall develop a plan to remediate the identified deficiencies.

• Certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or basic cardiac life support (BCLS) (required) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) (required).
• Three letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s experience as an RN and the applicant’s knowledge, judgment, and skills specific to perioperative patient care. Letters can be from the following sources: (a) The director or a faculty member from the most recent academic program attended (if applicant has been a nursing student in the last five years); (b) The applicant’s immediate manager; and, (c) A person who can attest to the applicant’s professional work.
• A resume that includes relevant work experiences (including dates of employment by month and year), evidence of community service, examples of leadership and commitment to the profession of nursing, and memberships in professional nursing organizations.
• A pre-admission interview.
• Comprehensive background check.
• Student Health Requirements: Proof of physical examination within one year of application, student NP liability insurance and health insurance, current immunizations for MMR, Chickenpox, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis.