ADVANCED PRACTICE PROFESSIONALS | Neurosurgery | Wheeling Hopsital | Nurse Practitioner (85001) or Physician Assistant (85101)

Advanced Practice Professionals Neurosurgery

The Advanced Practice Professional (APP) has coordination and clinical skills required for the comprehensive management of neurosurgery patients, including biological, social, and psychological assessments. The APP coordinates involvement of medical specialty teams necessary to develop a comprehensive plan for the patient, and reviews the plan of care with the other members of the clinical team, participates in directing that care, performs diagnostic/therapeutic procedures, and coordinates discharge planning (as applicable). The APP participates in the education of residents and medical/nursing students.

Minimum Qualifications for Nurse Practitioner:

• Graduate of a CCNE accredited nursing program with Master's Degree in Nursing
• National Certification by one of the recognized APRN Certification Centers
• Licensure or eligibility for licensure, as a professional Registered Nurse and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in West Virginia
• American Heart Association BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department.

Experience:

• Acute care or neurosurgery experience preferred.
• Eligible new graduates will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications:

• APRNs requesting to be privileged as Registered Nurse First Assist (RNFA) in peri-operative services will be required to complete an RNFA certificate program and obtain a passing grade on RNFA certification exam.

Core Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manages comprehensive and individualized care for neurosurgery patients and their families in the inpatient phase of hospitalization and immediate post discharge and in the ambulatory setting.
• Completes daily rounds; consults and/or pre-procedure/evaluations and ongoing follow-up in the ambulatory setting.
• Completes integrated assessments.
• With the collaboration of neurosurgery faculty or by following established clinical Guidelines and Protocols, orders additional tests or consults as deemed appropriate.
• Performs and communicates results of diagnostic tests following established clinical guidelines and scope of practice.
• Consults and communicates with clinic and hospital staff regarding abnormal findings in the evaluations of patients.
• Performs succinct comprehensive clinical evaluations and documents findings in medical record.
• Facilitates patient discharge by coordinating appropriate services and tests prior to discharge necessary for outpatient follow-up appointments in the clinic (as applicable).
• Develops a comprehensive individualized plan of care for neurosurgery patients, which includes teaching, discharge planning follow-up and necessary referral to other members of the health care team as necessary.
• Demonstrates expertise in caring for patients across the age continuum of their educational experience and certification.
• Identifies unstable or complex neurosurgery patient care situations and facilitates appropriate intervention in the clinic and/or hospital setting.
• Recognizes emergency situations and initiates effective emergency care.
• Evaluates neurosurgery patients and serves as a coordinator for follow up procedures and tests in the ambulatory setting (as applicable). Provides acute and ongoing care of the NS patient in the ambulatory setting.
• Assists in the collection of outcome measures (as applicable).
• Demonstrates critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning skills in clinical decision making by the identification, evaluation and management of the individual needs of patients/families.
• Demonstrates the ability to utilize equipment in a safe manner.
• Bases decisions made/actions taken on the relevant scientific principles, established standards of care and/or research findings.
• Utilizes teaching/learning theory and appropriate teaching strategies in the provision of education to nursing staff, hospital staff, students, patients, families and the community.
• Promotes an environment that facilitates learning by responding to appropriate patient/family preferences, priorities and readiness to learn.
• Updates own knowledge base throughout the year.
• Completes all identified clinical competencies.
• Serves as a resource person for staff caring for the neurosurgery patient.
• Provides educational programs to professional and paraprofessional personnel in area of expertise.
• Participates in community programs, distribution of literature, as appropriate in area of expertise.
• Documents the plan of care, interventions and evaluations in a clear and concise manner for every patient visit in the patient's medical record following approved hospital/UHA policies and compliance standards for documentation.
• Collaborates with other leaders and staff to effectively achieve patient outcome-based improvements in care.
• Provides leadership in the development and implantation of changes in the neurosurgery practice that positively impact patient outcomes.
• Works collaboratively with medical and nursing staff to facilitate creative problem solving and provide professional support.
• Participates and initiates inter-disciplinary approaches to patient care, program development and education. Serves as a professional role model.
• Promotes and practices innovation of the expanded role in the delivery of care to neurosurgery patients and families throughout the inpatient hospitalization, and the ambulatory setting.
• Participates and provides leadership for committees and task forces.
• Documents hours and submits billing reports, as appropriate.
• Reviews and interprets neurosurgery data from sources such as patient registries, clinical and financial reports, length of stay, access to care, and cost per case reports and recommends/implements changes as necessary.
• Participates in clinical trials and research studies with the Principal Investigator.
• Assists neurosurgery Faculty, Administrators and Directors in the collection of outcome measures.
• Other duties/projects as assigned.

Physical Requirements:

• Heavy/Hard Work: Work requires strength and/or stamina, lifting, moving, stooping, reaching, positioning of patients, standing, walking, and carrying of patients, materials and equipment weighing 40+ pounds.

Working Environment:

• Working closely with others.
• Protracted or irregular hours.
• Working around biohazards.
• Working around infectious diseases.
• Working with or near the deceased.
• Working with hands in water.
• Electrical hazards associated with patient care equipment.

Skills and Abilities:

• Proficiency with computers.
• Strong communication skills.