Advanced Nurse Practitioner - Surgical Care

Veterans Health Administration • Milwaukee, WI

9d • Onsite

About The Position

This Advanced Practice Nurse II Certified Nurse Practitioner position is located in the Surgical Care Division at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The nurse practitioner works in the Pre-Operative / Pre-Procedure Clinic, providing advanced clinical practice, consultation, and management while emphasizing quality, timeliness, and the VA mission. The position assesses Veterans and their planned procedures, reviews their health records and test results, and develops pre-operative recommendations in collaboration with referring teams and other clinical providers.

The nurse practitioner coordinates patients’ progress through pre-operative evaluation, including arranging additional testing and specialty referrals as appropriate. The role also includes evidence-based care, patient and family education, care-plan adjustment, support for clinical protocols and policies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and contributions to staff development. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; telework is not available.

Requirements

• Post-master’s certificate, master’s degree, or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner.
• Graduate of an appropriately approved and accredited school of professional nursing; qualifying accreditation bodies listed are ACEN and CCNE.
• Active, current, full, and unrestricted advanced practice nurse license to practice as a nurse practitioner in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Maintain full and current basic board certification as a nurse practitioner in an accepted specialty from ANCC, AANPCB, or another nationally recognized certifying body in the area of academic preparation.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English for direct patient care.
• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy.
• Successful completion of required pre-employment screening, including drug testing for applicants selected for testing-designated positions, background/security investigation, and physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• For Nurse Practitioner III consideration: basic APN education requirements and one year of specialized APN experience equivalent to Nurse II.
• Ability to meet the applicable Nurse II or Nurse III scope and dimension criteria, including clinical practice, outcome focus, leadership, professional development, and professionalism/collegiality.

Nice To Haves

• Experience evaluating Veterans who will undergo a surgical procedure.
• Experience assessing co-morbidities and risks related to surgical procedures.
• Experience performing history and physical examinations efficiently and timely.
• Experience collaborating and communicating with surgeons, anesthesiologists, registered nurses, other physician extenders, trainees, and staff from multiple services.
• Experience or exposure to EKG readings.

Responsibilities

• Assess Veterans, planned procedures, and co-morbidities to help determine the appropriate pre-operative evaluation clinic.
• Perform pre-operative history and physical examinations using the electronic health record template to capture risk factors.
• Review relevant electronic health record notes, laboratory results, imaging, cardiac and pulmonary tests, and other information to develop patient assessments.
• Communicate concerns and recommendations to referring services and surgeons.
• Recommend proceeding with a planned operation or obtaining additional testing before surgery, and communicate recommendations to the referring team.
• Collaborate with COTC registered nurse staff, anesthesia providers, primary care providers, consultation teams, and referring providers on pre-operative assessments.
• Coordinate and monitor patients’ progress through the pre-operative clinic, including additional testing needed for timely surgical preparation.
• Initiate referrals and consultations to specialty services.
• Assist in developing clinical protocols, policies, procedures, and plans of care for pre-operative patients.
• Use evidence-based practice in the pre-operative clinic.
• Educate patients and families about the pre-operative process, co-morbidities, and lifestyle concerns as needed.
• Assess and adjust plans of care to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
• Identify deviations from protocols, care standards, and clinical pathways, and investigate and intervene to correct variances as appropriate.
• Support interdisciplinary patient-care teams by updating knowledge and skills through literature reviews, discussions, and presentations.
• Serve as a role model for nursing staff and participate in care of pre-operative Veterans.
• Assist with orientation of new staff to the pre-operative clinic.
• Maintain competence through job-related educational opportunities.
• Demonstrate leadership and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team.
• Prescribe pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions as appropriate.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year, comprising 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level