Adam Lipchik’s story on when and how he became an RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant) is a detailed one. It began back in high school in Indiana, PA when he knew he wanted to go into nursing or some other aspect of healthcare. He worked as an EMT for a while, then headed to Michigan State to earn his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. Jump ahead several years to 2019, and he’s now a caregiver at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, pursuing yet another degree (his master’s, from Franklin University), as a Generalist. (An MSN – Generalist prepares students for leadership roles, advanced practice or nursing education.) His career journey has taken him to Mayo Clinic, University Hospitals, and now Cleveland Clinic. This northeast Ohio location is a great midpoint between Michigan and Indiana for Adam and his wife, who is an Assistant Nurse Manager of J71. 

As an RNFA in ambulatory orthopaedics (he functions as the first assistant to the surgeon during surgery), Adam is teamed up with Dr. Mark Berkowitz, a foot and ankle specialist. To qualify for this role, he needed to become a Registered Nurse, log two years or 2,000 hours in the operating room, obtain his Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR) certification, and complete a 12-month RNFA program. 

Throughout his years of training, Adam has worked with a variety of specialties, including cardiac surgery and labor and delivery, assisting with C-sections. “I’ve been in surgery about 11 years now,” he says. 

Just like many nurses, Adam is drawn to working on challenging cases that keep him engaged. He shares, “You’ll learn a lot from the complex care that you get to see here. Because Cleveland Clinic is a teaching institution, the physicians will answer your questions and absolutely educate you and give you growth opportunities to learn about patients and patient care. When you get out of nursing school, you know the basics. But here you can learn about any specialty and get in-depth education as you deal with complex patients you wouldn’t see elsewhere.” 

Adam’s weekly schedule comprises both surgery days and clinics days. On his surgery days, he helps position and prep the patient in the operating room during surgery. He may be holding a reduction or retractors, closing at the end, and taking patients to the post-op area to release them to the PACU nurses. 

One thing Adam excels at is showing empathy to his patients who are undergoing surgery. Acting as the patient’s advocate, he’s typically the one talking to them before surgery, pre-opping them, answering questions, and most importantly, supporting them through the whole process. “The one thing that I hear a lot is that it’s nice to see a friendly face and know somebody is there. Hearing that is really awesome.” 

On clinic days, he makes sure that the patients have X-rays and any operative notes if they’ve had MRIs or CT scans. For his post-op patients, he does everything from remove sutures and manage wounds to review exercises with them and share what their next steps will be in the recovery process. “It depends on the day, but it in this role, you get to do both pre-op and post-op and the in-between. Communicating with the patients from the beginning and seeing how they are progressing later is really fascinating.” 

Adam credits his manager for helping him look ahead to the future, wherever it may lead him. “Linda is very good at cultivating an environment of growth and being available. When I wanted to get my master’s degree and continue my education, she was very supportive of that.” 

One of Adam’s proudest moments came this year when he received one of four Cleveland Clinic Health System’s Nursing Excellence Awards at Main Campus. The award is presented to a Registered Nurse who demonstrates special skills, dedication and compassion in the delivery of outstanding direct patient care, inpatient or ambulatory. 

It’s safe to say that any patients who happen to cross paths with Adam on their healthcare journey will be in excellent hands.