Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California is recruiting a full-time Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) to join its perioperative surgery team. This role places an experienced OR nurse directly at the surgeon's side across a broad range of surgical procedures at a Level 1 Trauma Center that anchors a three-hospital regional network serving the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin. The position carries a sign-on bonus of up to $25,000 and offers a day-shift schedule within a facility recognized for advanced subspecialty surgical services.
Perks and Benefits
- Sign-on bonus up to $25,000 for experienced RNs
- Full-time, day-shift employment
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
- 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match
- Health savings accounts (HSA); healthcare and dependent flexible spending accounts (FSA)
- Generous paid time off
- Career development and continuing education opportunities
- Employee Assistance Program and employee discount program
- Voluntary benefits: pet insurance, legal insurance, accident and critical illness insurance, long-term care, elder and childcare assistance, auto and home insurance
Practice Highlights
- Functions as first assistant to the surgeon intraoperatively across diversified surgical procedures
- Performs the full scope of first-assistant duties: tissue handling and dissection, vessel clamping and ligation, coagulation of bleeding points, suturing of muscle, fascia, subcutaneous tissue, and skin, and drain placement — all in direct collaboration with the attending surgeon
- Provides operative exposure through skilled use of instruments, retractors, suction, and sponging techniques
- Participates in preoperative assessment and surgical planning for selected patients
- Responsibilities extend to circulating and scrubbing duties as assigned, supporting full perioperative coverage
- Participates in the call rotation
- Actively identifies intraoperative safety hazards and initiates corrective action
- Desert Regional Medical Center is a Level 1 Trauma Center and part of the Desert Care Network — a three-hospital system also comprising JFK Memorial Hospital (Indio) and Hi-Desert Medical Center (Joshua Tree)
- Network services include comprehensive stroke care, a cancer center, and the only Level 3 NICU in the Coachella Valley
Qualifications
- Current California RN license required; graduate of an approved school of nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited program required
- CNOR certification required; Certified Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) or NP certification also accepted
- Completion of an approved, accredited RNFA program including all required internship hours
- Demonstrated proficiency in perioperative nursing practice in both scrub and circulating roles with diversified OR experience; prior RNFA experience strongly preferred
- Current American Heart Association BLS certification, maintained continuously
About the Community
Palm Springs sits at the western edge of the Coachella Valley in Southern California's Sonoran Desert — a region defined by year-round sunshine, world-class golf, and a vibrant arts and dining scene that draws visitors and residents alike. The area offers a relatively affordable cost of living compared to coastal Southern California metros, with easy access to Joshua Tree National Park, the San Jacinto Mountains, and the broader Los Angeles region roughly 100 miles to the west. For clinicians seeking a warm-weather lifestyle with outdoor recreation, cultural amenities, and a tight-knit desert community, the Coachella Valley is a compelling destination.