Heidi Nanavati

MSN, FNP-BC, CNOR, RNFA

Heidi Nanavati MSN, FNP-BC, CNOR has been an NP/RNFA (nurse practitioner/first assist) for the past 16 years. She graduated from The College of New Jersey with her BSN in 2000. While working as an operating room nurse she knew she wanted to pursue her education further. She graduated from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her MSN/ FNP degree in 2004. She went right to work in surgery as a nurse practitioner and first assist in the operating room.

After spending a year working with a top rated plastic surgeon in Philadelphia, she and Dr. Nanavati moved to Upstate NY. There she worked at the State University of New York in Syracuse as a nurse practitioner for the department of orthopedic surgery. She cared for and assisted in the surgeries of patients undergoing surgeries of the spine, total joint replacements, and her favorite- orthopedic trauma.

During their tenure in Maryland, Heidi expanded her roles in nursing leadership by taking on senior responsibilities in her local and regional nursing organizations. She was soon elected to national positions of nursing leadership in AORN (Association of perioperative Registered Nurses). All the while, Heidi continued her work as a surgical nurse practitioner with both the Joint Replacement and the Shoulder Elbow, Wrist, and Hand Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to serving the patients of the Treasure Valley, Heidi works as adjunct faculty for the RNFA program, founded by Dr. Jane Rothrock at Delaware County Community College in Media, Pennsylvania. She loves being able to teach and guide the practice of novice OR nurses, NP’s, and first assistants in the operating room. She recently has been named chair of an annual national RNFA conference. She was also selected to become adjunct faculty of nursing at Rutgers University in New Jersey for their Perioperative Nursing program. Heidi has been heavily involved in AORN since 2012. She has worked to write position statements for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in the Perioperative Environment, guidelines on positioning patients for surgery, and teaching modules for operating room nurses when taking care of patients undergoing shoulder and elbow surgery. She has served on a number of national committees within the organization.

She was very active in her local chapter in Baltimore Maryland prior to moving to Idaho, including a two year term as president. She has presented at national and local conferences, as well as chapters and state councils around the country. She was recently elected to serve on the AORN National Board of Directors and looks forward to doing great work to serve both her colleagues and as well as her patients.

Heidi brings her dedication to providing compassionate and empathetic care to each of her patients every day to Idaho Shoulder to Hand Specialists.