Nurse Practitioner / Physician Assistant, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery - Sutter Sacramento
About The Position
The Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant (NP/PA) works in the Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery program at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, a satellite program of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. The program performs 160–180 cases per year and cares for patients with complex and less complex congenital heart conditions, as well as adult congenital heart patients requiring additional surgery. The team includes two pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons, a physician assistant, PICU intensivists, pediatric cardiologists, and pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists, with additional surgeon support from Stanford Medicine Children’s Health for the most complex operations. The program also provides care for children with chest-wall conditions, including bracing for pectus carinatum and surgical intervention for pectus excavatum. The APP collaborates with attending physicians, fellows, and other NPs and PAs. Daily work may include receiving overnight sign-out, pre-rounding, developing and presenting patient care plans, documenting daily notes, implementing the plan agreed upon during rounds, and responding to issues raised by nurses. Role duties also include surgical consultations with surgeons, intraoperative first and second assist, postoperative surgical rounds, and postoperative outpatient appointments. Credentialed procedures include intubation, central and arterial line placement, chest tube insertion and removal, PD drain placement, and pacing wire removal. The NP or PA evaluates and treats patients with acute and chronic complaints and health-maintenance needs related to the specialty, in collaboration with physicians and in accordance with applicable role descriptions and standardized procedures. The position includes obtaining histories and performing physical examinations; ordering and evaluating diagnostic studies; administering, ordering, furnishing, or prescribing medications as authorized; ordering and collecting specimens; coordinating inpatient and outpatient care; patient and family education and counseling; and participation in quality improvement. The APP must work within their competence, consult or refer to a physician when needed, and comply with hospital policies, safety and quality requirements, and applicable legal and clinical procedures.
Requirements
- PA applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or above from an accredited college or university and graduate from a PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.
- NP applicants must have a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing from an accredited college or university and graduate from an NP program accredited by NLNAC or CCNE.
- PA applicants must hold a California PA license and NCCPA certification.
- NP applicants must hold California RN and NP licensure and national NP board certification from an agency accredited by ABNS. New graduate NPs have six months from graduation to obtain national board certification.
- Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association is required for either role.
- A furnishing license from the California Board of Registered Nursing is required for NPs only if furnishing medications.
- An individual DEA license for Schedule II–V controlled substances is required only when prescribing controlled substances to outpatients.
- Additional board certifications may be required by particular services, departments, or specialties.
- The APP must provide only services within their education, training, experience, and competence, in collaboration with a physician.
- Must comply with applicable hospital policies, procedures, safety and quality requirements, and legal and regulatory requirements.
Nice To Haves
- At least one year of APP experience in an ICU or OR setting.
Responsibilities
- Receive sign-out from the overnight team, pre-round on assigned patients, develop and present daily care plans, document daily notes, implement plans agreed upon during rounds, and respond to issues raised by nurses.
- Conduct consultations in conjunction with surgeons.
- Provide intraoperative first and second assistance and assist in the operating room after appropriate training.
- Perform postoperative surgical rounds and postoperative outpatient appointments.
- Perform credentialed procedures, including intubation, central line placement, arterial line placement, chest tube insertion and removal, PD drain placement, and pacing wire removal.
- Evaluate and treat patients with acute and chronic complaints and health-maintenance concerns related to the specialty, according to written standardized procedures.
- Obtain complete histories and perform pertinent physical examinations; perform or request and evaluate diagnostic studies as indicated.
- Administer, order, furnish, and prescribe medications within applicable authorization and scope of practice.
- Order and collect specimens for laboratory tests, screening, and therapeutic procedures, including blood and blood products.
- Order physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, radiology examinations, and nursing services.
- Obtain informed consent when indicated; initiate hospital admissions and discharges and complete related paperwork.
- Recognize age-specific patient needs and situations requiring immediate physician attention, and initiate life-saving procedures when necessary.
- Coordinate inpatient and outpatient care and services, collaborate with providers, and coordinate community resources as needed.
- Provide and coordinate patient teaching and counseling; communicate effectively with patients, families, staff, and community members from diverse backgrounds.
- Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and clinical policies and procedures and participate in quality improvement initiatives.
- Consult or refer to a collaborating physician when a task, procedure, or diagnostic problem exceeds the APP’s competence.
- Comply with hospital policies and procedures, Joint Commission requirements, safety and quality programs, and ongoing education and training requirements.
Benefits
- Eligible positions may receive up to $9,600 through the Student Loan Assistance Program, applied directly to the employee’s student loan account.
- Benefits eligible.
