Physician Assistant Surgery Nocturnist

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

6d•$135,720 - $173,867•Onsite

About The Position

The Physician Assistant (PA) is a licensed provider responsible for assessing and managing medical and surgical patients, including diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, developing plans of care, and ongoing evaluation. The role provides direct patient care, counseling, and teaching; conducts histories and physical examinations; orders and interprets diagnostic tests; develops and documents care plans; prescribes medications in accordance with policies; and performs appropriate bedside procedures. The PA nocturnist provides overnight coverage for inpatients on the Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, and Urology services. The position works rotating night shifts from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Sunday, with rotating weekend daytime coverage from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The PA receives sign-outs, manages inpatient issues and acute changes in patient status, creates next-day work lists, and provides sign-out of overnight events. The role also supports patient throughput for inpatients and patients in Extended Recovery and Post Anesthesia Care Units. Occasional operating room assistance may be needed for cases extending into the evening or emergency procedures, though most work is expected to involve non-OR floor issues. The PA must have or develop knowledge of relevant procedures across the three services and maintain competency in designated skills. This includes postoperative care and basic procedures such as drain and line removal, urinary catheter and nasogastric tube placement or removal, suturing, abscess drainage, and service-specific procedures involving ENT, plastic surgery, and urology patients.

Requirements

Master's degree in Physician Assistant studies.
Physician Assistant state license.
Ability to take medical histories, assess medical conditions, and interpret findings.
Ability to maintain quality control standards.
Ability to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations.
Ability to interpret, adapt, and apply guidelines and procedures.
Ability to communicate clearly and establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients, medical staff, and the public.
Ability to work the rotating overnight schedule and rotating Saturday and Sunday daytime coverage.
Ability to acquire and maintain the procedure knowledge and competencies required for the Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, and Urology services.

Nice To Haves

Experience as a licensed Physician Assistant.

Responsibilities

Provide direct care, counseling, and teaching to a designated patient population in ambulatory, inpatient, operative, or procedural settings.
Perform complete patient histories and physical examinations.
Order, interpret, and evaluate appropriate laboratory and diagnostic tests.
Develop plans of care and follow-up based on diagnostic, laboratory, and physical examination findings.
Order medications and write prescriptions in accordance with organizational and regulatory policies and procedures.
Provide high-quality, timely documentation, including admission and progress notes, procedure and operative notes, and discharge summaries.
Perform bedside procedures appropriate to the patient population.
Receive patient sign-outs from residents and PAs and care for inpatients during assigned shifts.
Create work lists for each service for the following day and communicate overnight events to the resident or PA.
Evaluate patients on service who experience an acute change in clinical status.
Manage postoperative patients and perform basic procedures, including removal of surgical drains and central lines, urinary catheter and nasogastric tube placement or removal, and basic suturing.
Support patient throughput, including for inpatients and patients in Extended Recovery and Post Anesthesia Care Units who may be discharged or admitted to a floor the following morning.
Assist in the operating room when cases extend into the late evening or for emergency surgical procedures, as needed.
Develop or apply knowledge of basic Otolaryngology procedures and maintain competency in required skills, including nasal packing and removal, tracheostomy tube changes, superficial abscess drainage, and feeding tube placement in complex postoperative patients.
Develop or apply knowledge of basic Plastic Surgery procedures and maintain competency in incision and drainage of superficial abscesses, suturing, and drain removal.
Develop or apply knowledge of basic Urology procedures and maintain competency in difficult urinary catheter placement, management of three-way urinary catheters with or without irrigation, replacement or changing of suprapubic tubes, and bladder irrigation.