Advanced Practice Professional - Inpatient Cardiology
About The Position
The Advanced Practice Professional (APP) provides high-quality, patient-centered care as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team. Working collaboratively with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, the APP assesses, diagnoses, treats, and manages patients within their scope of practice and specialty. The APP delivers evidence-based care, promotes positive patient outcomes, maintains professional and regulatory standards, and supports departmental and organizational clinical, educational, and operational goals. In inpatient cardiology, the APP coordinates and provides comprehensive management of cardiology patients, including biological, social, and psychological assessments. The APP coordinates with medical and surgical specialty teams to develop and review comprehensive care plans, participates in directing care, performs diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and peri-operative services, and coordinates discharge planning and follow-up as applicable. The role also includes educating residents and medical and nursing students. The APP provides healthcare services consistent with state law and the requirements of applicable professional licensing or certification authorities and hospital privileges. This position may be filled by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant who meets the applicable qualifications. Acute care or cardiology experience is preferred, but eligible new graduates will be considered. The position is located at Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, West Virginia, and is scheduled for 40 hours per week on a varied shift.
Requirements
- For nurse practitioner candidates: graduate of a CCNE-accredited nursing program with a Master’s Degree in Nursing.
- For nurse practitioner candidates: national certification by a recognized APRN certification center.
- For nurse practitioner candidates: licensed or eligible for licensure as a Registered Nurse and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in West Virginia.
- For physician assistant candidates: Bachelor’s Degree as a Medical/Surgical (as applicable) Physician Assistant.
- For physician assistant candidates: graduate of an ARC-PA-approved Physician Assistant training program.
- For physician assistant candidates: certification by the National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants.
- For physician assistant candidates: licensed or eligible for licensure by the West Virginia Board of Medicine.
- BLS certification is required; additional Advanced Life Support training may be required at the department’s discretion.
- Proficiency with computers.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to meet the physical demands of heavy/hard work, including lifting, moving, stooping, reaching, positioning patients, standing, walking, and carrying patients, materials, and equipment weighing 40 pounds or more.
Nice To Haves
- Acute care or cardiology experience is preferred; eligible new graduates will be considered.
- For nurse practitioner candidates, ACNP is preferred, but FNP candidates will be considered.
- For physician assistant candidates, master’s-level education as a Medical/Surgical (as applicable) Physician Assistant is preferred.
Responsibilities
- Manage comprehensive, individualized care for cardiology patients and their families during inpatient hospitalization and immediate post-discharge ambulatory care.
- Complete daily rounds, consultations, and pre-procedure evaluations.
- Complete integrated assessments and succinct comprehensive clinical evaluations, documenting findings in the medical record.
- In collaboration with cardiology faculty or under established clinical guidelines and protocols, order additional tests or consultations as appropriate.
- Perform diagnostic tests within established guidelines and scope of practice, and communicate their results.
- Communicate with clinic and hospital staff about abnormal evaluation findings.
- Coordinate discharge services and necessary tests to support outpatient follow-up appointments, as applicable.
- Develop individualized cardiology care plans that include patient teaching, discharge planning, and referrals to other healthcare team members as needed.
- Provide care across the age continuum appropriate to the APP’s education and certification.
- Identify unstable or complex cardiology situations and facilitate appropriate intervention in clinic or hospital settings.
- Recognize emergency situations and initiate effective emergency care.
- Coordinate follow-up, procedures, and tests for cardiology patients in the ambulatory setting, as applicable.
- Assist with collecting patient outcome measures.
- Use critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning to identify, evaluate, and manage the needs of patients and families.
- Use equipment safely and base decisions on relevant scientific principles, standards of care, and research findings.
- Educate nursing staff, hospital staff, students, patients, families, and the community using appropriate teaching strategies.
- Promote learning by responding to patient and family preferences, priorities, and readiness to learn.
- Maintain and update clinical knowledge and complete identified clinical competencies.
- Serve as a resource for staff caring for cardiology patients and provide educational programs for professional and paraprofessional personnel.
- Participate in community programs and distribute relevant literature as appropriate.
- Document care plans, interventions, and evaluations clearly and concisely in the patient record in accordance with hospital and UHA policies and documentation standards.
- Collaborate with leaders and staff on improvements to patient outcomes and care.
- Provide leadership in developing and implementing cardiology practice changes that positively affect patient outcomes.
- Work collaboratively with medical and nursing staff to support problem-solving and provide professional support.
- Participate in and initiate interdisciplinary patient care, program development, and education; serve as a professional role model.
- Promote innovation in the expanded APP role in cardiology care across inpatient and applicable ambulatory settings.
- Participate in and provide leadership for committees and task forces.
- Document hours and submit billing reports as appropriate.
- Review and interpret cardiology data, including registry, clinical, financial, length-of-stay, access-to-care, and cost-per-case information, and recommend or implement changes as needed.
- Participate in clinical trials and research studies with the Principal Investigator.
- Assist cardiology faculty, administrators, and directors in collecting outcome measures.
- Perform other duties and projects as assigned.
