Instructor (NP/PA)

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The successful preoperative management of patients has been shown to lead to better outcomes: reduced morbidity and mortality, decreased hospital lengths of stay, improved patient experience and a reduction in OR cancellations and delays. The Pre-Procedure Services clinic is a preoperative clinic which is well-respected and valued by surgeons and anesthesiologists at the University of Colorado. It is a collaborative clinic with key contributions from attending physicians, residents, students, nurses, and medical assistants. The core component of the clinic, however, is our talented group of engaged Advanced Practice Providers (NPs and/or PAs) providing excellent clinical care to complex patients every day. The essential responsibility of the Instructor (NP/PA) position is seeing patients in the PPS clinic. These may be virtual or in-person visits. Patients seen in clinic are medically complex with multiple comorbidities. The goal of the clinic is to ensure patients are medically optimized for their procedures, in order to reduce the risk of complications in the perioperative period so that patients may have the best possible outcomes. PPS is currently in the process of expanding our capacity to see patients and developing multiple clinical improvement pathways. To accomplish this, we are currently hiring additional APPs (NPs or PAs) to join our high-performing team. Services we commonly perform include: comprehensive surgical risk assessment, medication management, advanced testing and diagnostics, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening and testing, telemedicine visits, and collaborative consultation with other subspecialties. Processes we are currently developing include penicillin allergy delabeling/testing, anemia prehabilitation, smoking cessation support and nutritional prehabilitation. An attending physician anesthesiologist is present in clinic every day to support APP questions and guide clinical decision making. There is extensive training and on-boarding when joining our clinic and there is always additional support and guidance available. This is a very team-oriented, supportive environment enabling APPs to work at the top of their scope while requiring broad clinical knowledge and excellent problem-solving skills.

Requirements

Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant with a Master’s Degree
Current certification as a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant
Licensure and inclusion in the Advanced Practice Registry in the State of Colorado or in the process of becoming licensed in the State of Colorado by the hire date.

Nice To Haves

Two years’ experience as Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant
Strong clinical assessment skills and knowledge base ability to read 12 lead EKGs
Experience assessing patients and developing care plans in the perioperative, pulmonology, cardiology or endocrinology clinic settings.
Experience teaching both professional and lay persons formally and informally.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with requesting physicians, anesthesia care team, surgical and medical services, patients, and their families.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
Knowledge of organizational policies and procedures of University of Colorado Hospital as they relate to patient care services.

Responsibilities

Assess the health status of individuals through chart review, history taking and physical examination.
Use current, evidence-based knowledge to inform decision making.
Appropriately order necessary diagnostic studies and tests, interpret the results, and initiate appropriate follow up.
Institute referrals to a physician or other care provider when deemed appropriate.
Demonstrate clinical judgment by consulting with the covering Anesthesiologist when appropriate.
Develop an appropriate treatment plan.
Manage preoperative medications and prescribe drugs or devices when necessary.
Communicate with patients and their surgeon or proceduralist the findings and plan.
Partner with patients to enhance their understanding of how compliance with the therapeutic regimen can improve their perioperative outcomes.
Provide instruction and counseling to individuals about the perioperative period and anesthesia.
Complete daily consult notes in the Electronic Medical Record and submit patient charges in a timely fashion.