Physician Assistant - Surgical / Trauma

WVU Medicine

3d•Onsite

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 the department’s and organization’s clinical, educational, and operational goals. Under a physician’s responsibility and supervision, the Physician Assistant performs diagnostic and therapeutic tasks that extend the physician’s services. The role assists with and performs surgical procedures, participates in postoperative care and follow-up, and provides other medical and surgical services on patient divisions or in the emergency department as requested. Activities must fall within the PA’s competence and the supervising physician’s qualifications, and must comply with applicable Board of Medicine rules and Wheeling Hospital policies and procedures. This is a Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. role at Reynolds Memorial Hospital’s operating room. Weekend call is required, with the PA required to remain within 30 minutes of the hospital. Call burden is described as relatively light. The position is part of a welcoming team with a new operating room, and the posting notes that new graduates are welcome.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited physician assistant program.
West Virginia certification and/or license as required.
ACLS certification.
Maintain annual CPR certification.
Must be able to remain within 30 minutes of the hospital while on call.
Able to meet the physical demands of frequent prolonged standing and walking, exposure to infection from disease-bearing specimens and patient-related or unpleasant elements, and handling emergency or crisis situations and long irregular hours.

Nice To Haves

The posting welcomes new graduates.

Responsibilities

Perform history and physical examinations on hospital inpatients and outpatients when appropriate; establish presumptive diagnoses and arrange appropriate workups, including laboratory studies; and manage patient problems under physician supervision.
Assist with hospital rounds and complete medical records, progress notes, and verbal orders relayed from the supervising physician for review and countersignature.
Initiate appropriate laboratory, radiologic, and special examinations needed to evaluate illness.
Communicate with patients about their problems under the supervising physician’s instructions.
Counsel and instruct patients regarding health-related problems.
Prepare and dictate hospitalization discharge summaries when the PA assisted with the patient’s surgery and made rounds on the patient.
Maintain annual CPR certification.
Serve as first and second assist on major and minor surgeries as directed by the supervising physician.
Manage medical emergencies and initiate appropriate therapy until a physician arrives.
Assist in training health personnel in diagnostic, therapeutic, and clinical techniques as directed by the supervising physician.
Participate in appropriate continuing medical education programs.
Perform clinical procedures under the supervising physician’s direction or supervision, subject to the required approvals and documentation.
Evaluate emergency room patients under the supervision of the emergency/trauma center physician, report pertinent findings to the attending physician, and assist in developing diagnostic and therapeutic treatment plans.
Rotate on call for emergent surgeries, respond to trauma pages in the emergency department, and provide assistance as necessary.
Rotate on call on medical or surgical services, evaluate patients, report pertinent findings to the attending physician, and assist in developing diagnostic and therapeutic treatment plans.
Assist with necessary preparations before surgery.
Assist with postpartum patient care.
Perform other duties as assigned.