Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant - First Assist Outpatient - Neurosurgery

Medical University of South Carolina•Charleston, SC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

This role provides first assist support to Neurosurgeon(s) in the operating room and offers support and care in spine/neuro-surgery outpatient clinics. The position involves collaborating with Neurosurgery teams, hospital, and outpatient care teams to coordinate patient care, communicating with patients about their care and concerns, and providing administrative support to ensure patient care is orderly and effective. The role may also involve following protocols for clinical trials. The Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant will manage all outpatient needs for a large volume of patients with neurosurgical problems, including assessment, diagnosis, and management of these patients. They will recognize and assess changes in patient status and respond appropriately, evaluate and manage neurosurgical patients, provide primary and specialized care, and analyze, interpret, and prioritize subjective and objective patient data. The role also involves assuming responsibility and accountability for managing an independent patient load and billing appropriately for services rendered, as well as being available to assess add-ons in the clinic and formulate and implement critical pathways to assist with standardized care. A significant portion of the role (30%) involves planning, advocating, and maximizing the use of OR block time. This includes preparing all surgical posting slips, submitting paperwork for case posting, and working with the Pre-Cert Office/CVU to expedite pre-authorization of surgical cases. The position also entails triaging outpatient phone calls, coordinating necessary paperwork for direct patient care, communicating with family members regarding patient care and concerns, and providing patient care support and follow-up to ensure effective coordination and communication. The role includes providing clinical instruction and oversight to nursing staff and ensuring appropriate communication with all referring physicians. Collaboration with the hospital nursing team, residents, interns, and inpatient APPs is expected to provide appropriate patient care through discharge and follow-up. The position also involves working with support staff and central offices to maximize efficiency in clinic scheduling and documenting all patient care activities in EPIC in a timely manner, including disposition of patient telephone calls and medication lists. Attendance at departmental Case Management and M&M conferences on a weekly basis is required, along with maintaining a current license. Collaboration with other first assist care team members and physicians, and first assisting with Neurosurgery/Spine are key responsibilities. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Completion of an accredited Physician Assistant program and currently licensed or eligible for licensure as a Physician Assistant or completion of an accredited Nurse Practitioner Program and currently licensed or eligible for licensure as an APRN.
AGPNP/ANP (Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP or Adult NP): Adult pts (13 years to death), stable chronic disease state management or primary care setting.
FNP (Family NP): (birth to death) Stable chronic disease state management, primary care across the lifespan.
RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant) REQUIRED
Basic Life Support (BLS).
DHEC and DEA license applications must be started prior to first day.
For NP candidates: RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant)
Maintains current license.
Continuous requirements are to perform job functions while standing, walking and sitting.
Ability to bend at the waist, kneel, climb stairs, reach in all directions, fully use both hands and legs, possess good finger dexterity, perform repetitive motions with hands/wrists/elbows and shoulders, reach in all directions.
Maintain 20/40 vision corrected, see and recognize objects close at hand and at a distance, work in a latex safe environment and work indoors.
Frequently lift, lower, push and pull and/or carry objects weighing 50 lbs (+/-) unassisted, exert up to 50 lbs of force, lift from 36" to overhead 25 lbs.
Infrequently work in dusty areas and confined/cramped spaces.

Nice To Haves

At least 2 years of spine/neurosurgery First Assist NP/PA-C experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Providing first assist support to Neurosurgeon(s) in the operating room.
Providing support and care in spine/neuro-surgery outpatient clinics.
Collaborating with Neurosurgery teams, hospital and outpatient care teams to coordinate patient care.
Communicating with patients regarding care and concerns.
Providing administrative support and follow up to ensure patient care is orderly and effective.
Following protocols for clinical trials, if necessary.
Manages all outpatient needs for a large volume of patients with neurosurgical problems.
Assessment, diagnosis, and management of outpatients with neurological problems.
Recognize and assess changes in patient status and respond appropriately.
Evaluating and managing neurosurgical patients; provide primary and specialized care to the patient population; provide direct care at the physician assistant/nurse practitioner level to spine and other neurosurgery patients; analyze, interpret and prioritize subjective and objective patient data.
Assume responsibility and accountability for managing independent patient load and bill appropriately for services rendered.
Be available to assess add-ons in the clinic.
Formulate and implement critical pathways to assist with standardized care.
Plan, advocate and maximize use of OR block time.
Prepares all surgical posting slips and submits paperwork for case posting.
Works with Pre-Cert Office/CVU, if necessary, to expedite all pre-authorization of surgical cases.
Triages outpatient phone calls and coordinates all necessary paperwork in support of direct patient care.
Communicate with family members regarding patient care and concerns; provide patient care support and follow up to ensure patient care is coordinated/communicated effectively; provide clinical instruction and oversight to nursing staff.
Ensures appropriate communication with all referring physicians.
Works with the hospital nursing team, residents, interns, inpatient APPs, etc., to provide appropriate patient care through discharge and follow up.
Works with support staff and central offices to maximize efficiency in clinic scheduling.
Documents all patient care activities in EPIC in a timely manner including disposition of patient telephone calls, medication lists, etc.
Attends departmental Case Management and M&M conferences on a weekly basis.
Maintains current license.
Collaborate with other first assist care team members and physicians.
First assist with Neurosurgery/Spine.
Other duties as assigned.