Advanced Practice Provider – Headache - Open Rank-Instructor, Sr. Instructor

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Neurology has an ongoing need for Advanced Practice Providers (Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Clinical Nurse Specialist) with strong values and unique skills for our Headache Section. This is an outpatient position, providing direct care to our patients with chronic migraine, and other primary and secondary patients, including those associated with low or high cerebrospinal fluid pressure. The APP engages closely with colleagues across the Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Hospital, and other satellite locations. This position will provide both acute and chronic direct outpatient care for neurologic patients, including performing office procedures like nerve blocks and Botox injections. Successful candidates will have a proven record of accomplishment in supporting the needs of patients, developing differential diagnoses, and prescribing treatments in collaboration with other specialties. We are seeking individuals who are collaborative, communicative, proactive, caring, detail-oriented, reliable, organized, able to think critically, focused on quality, and dedicated to personal growth.

Requirements

Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Clinical Nurse Specialist Degree
License to practice in Colorado or ability to obtain a license to practice in Colorado
Experience and desire to work with patients with chronic, and sometimes severe illness
Experience completing documentation and performing tasks routinely assigned in medical settings using complex electronic record systems
Two (2) years working with neurological patients and/or experience with inpatient care or chronic pain patients

Nice To Haves

Significant experience with General neurological patients, especially Headache and other Pain patients, and/or experience in management of chronic diseases in a subspecialty environment.
Experience in primary care medicine is desirable as well as experience in management of mood disorders, including depression and anxiety.
Experience with clinical education, quality improvement, research, advocacy, or professional society involvement.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with patients, families, colleagues, trainees, and referring providers.
Being respectful of patient rights and putting patient safety first,
Building patient rapport
A positive, motivated, engaged, and caring attitude
Great attention to detail and quality
Ability to work with colleagues and patients in a confidential and professional manner
Follow best practices in research (ICH guidelines, GCP, FDA guidelines)
Good documentation practices
Dedication to professional development and life-long learning
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage a complex clinical workload.
Proficiency in performing headache-related procedures or demonstrated ability and willingness to develop procedural competency.
Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team while also practicing independently within established scope.
Ability to be adaptable and flexible.
Experience with web-based tracking systems and Microsoft Office suite (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access).

Responsibilities

Screen, evaluate, diagnose, manage medications, and provide disease counseling.
Acute and chronic outpatient care of patients with headache disorders including preventive and abortive treatment options.
Serves as first contact for clinician level patient communications
Engages in collaborative team-based care to make informed decisions for patient care.
Support and engage in continual learning and development among nursing staff, advance practice providers, pharmacy staff, medical students, and neurology residents, and headache fellows.
Periodic educational presentation of lectures to patients and others
Provide comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and longitudinal management of patients with a range of primary and secondary headache disorders, including migraine, cluster headache and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, tension-type headache, medication-overuse headache, and other headache syndromes.
Obtain detailed headache histories, perform focused neurologic examinations, and develop individualized evidence-based diagnostic and treatment plans.
Manage acute and preventive headache therapies, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment approaches.
Counsel patients regarding lifestyle factors and behavioral strategies that may influence headache frequency and severity, including sleep, exercise, nutrition, hydration, stress management, and medication use.
Perform headache-related procedures within scope of practice and credentialing, which may include onabotulinumtoxinA injections, peripheral nerve blocks, trigger point injections.
Monitor treatment response, adverse effects, and disease progression and adjust treatment plans accordingly.
Evaluate and appropriately triage patients with potential secondary headache disorders.
Collaborate closely with headache neurologists, physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and other members of the multidisciplinary headache team.
Participate in shared decision-making and provide education regarding headache diagnoses, treatment options, prognosis, and expectations to patients.
Contribute to the education and mentorship of APP students, medical students, residents, fellows, and other learners as appropriate.
Participate in clinical quality improvement, program development, and initiatives to improve access, efficiency, patient experience, and quality of headache care.
Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation and communicate effectively with patients and referring providers.
Participate in departmental and institutional activities that support the clinical, educational, and academic missions of the Headache Medicine program.