Surgical Physician Assistant, First Assist - Surgical Oncology & Endocrine Surgery

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Surgical Physician Assistant (PA) First Assistant works in collaboration with a multidisciplinary health care team including surgeons, advanced practice providers, and nurses. The candidate’s primary role will be to provide care in the operating room, acting as a first or second assistant to the primary surgeon for complex hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) and GI cases. The candidate will be expected to become proficient in the performance of complex robotic, laparoscopic and open surgical cases. Prior experience in these cases/specialties is encouraged but not required. Other responsibilities may include pre-operative history and physical, progress notes, and education for the patient/family. The PA must have didactic education, clinical competency and national certification in identified area of clinical practice, including first assist competency. The PA demonstrates medical knowledge, clinical judgment, technical competence, professionalism, interpersonal communication skills, timely and compliant documentation, and is responsible for professional development and competency validation. The PA has an advanced knowledge of surgical interventions and the responsibilities of a first assistant in the operating room. The Vanderbilt Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, a part of the Vanderbilt Department of Surgery, has quickly become a national leader in comprehensive surgical care. Our emphasis is placed on the evaluation and treatment of patients with benign and malignant tissue disorders. We use a multidisciplinary approach to patient care and work closely to coordinate our efforts with the Divisions of Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology, Hematology, Surgical Pathology, Radiology and other disciplines. The Division is an integral part of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Vanderbilt Breast Center and provides specialized care through our Endocrine Surgery Center and Pancreas Center. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is a leader in our community and region. Our growing reputation, award winning faculty, clinical trainees and well-funded research result in an organization focused on high quality, compassionate, and innovative patient care.

Requirements

LIC-Physician's Assistant Certified - Tennessee
Relevant Work Experience
1 year
Master's

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in complex robotic, laparoscopic and open surgical cases/specialties is encouraged but not required.

Responsibilities

Obtains and documents a health history; performs and documents complete, system-focused, or symptom-specific physical examination, assessment, and plan of care.
In collaboration, provides healthcare services for primary, acute, and complex care of patients and manages patient's overall care, identifying expected outcomes for diagnoses specific to the surgical area.
Performs first assistant role in the surgical environment.
Orders, performs, interprets, and collects data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant supporting diagnostic information and diagnostic procedures where indicated.
Forms differential diagnoses and treats acute and chronic conditions.
May prescribes therapeutic interventions both pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic and surgical, needed to achieve expected outcomes.
Utilizes evidence-based, approved practice protocols in planning and implementing care.
Initiates appropriate referrals and consultations.
Provides specialty specific consultation services upon request and within specialty scope of practice.
Facilitates the patient’s transition between operative area and appropriate unit or recovery areas.
Demonstrates sufficient fundamental proficiency in behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society.
Participates in professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.
Demonstrates established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others.
Demonstrates knowledge of population focus but also other sciences that support his/her field of practice.
Demonstrates knowledge of common and important health issues affecting society and other societies around the globe.
Demonstrates commitment in maintaining current evidence based knowledge through continuous learning.
Educates patients, families, students and other members of the healthcare team in clinical topics and application of clinical knowledge.
Demonstrates care that is compassionate, appropriate and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease and care at the end of life.
Within scope of licensure and certification, manages previously diagnosed and undiagnosed patients.
Uses health assessment skills to differentiate between normal, variations of normal, and abnormal findings.
Employs screening and diagnostic strategies in the development of diagnoses.
Prescribes medications within scope of practice.
Manages health/illness status of patients and families over time and across the continuum.
Provides patient-centered care and the patient or designee as a full partner in decision making.
Creates a climate of patient-centered care to include confidentiality privacy, comfort, emotional support, mutual trust, and respect.
Incorporates cultural and spiritual preferences, values and beliefs into health care.
Preserves the patient's control over decision making by negotiating a mutually acceptable plan of care.
Integrates ethical principles into decision making.
Uses electronic health record to capture data on variables for the evaluation and management of patient care.
Clearly documents findings, assessment and plan of care.
Demonstrates interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of health care teams.
Communicates practice knowledge effectively both orally and in writing.
Demonstrates the use of scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate and improve patient care practices.
Anticipates variations in practice and is proactive in implementing interventions to improve quality.
Uses best available evidence to continuously improve quality of clinical practice.
Generates knowledge from clinical practice to improve practice and patient outcomes.
Reviews data and evidences to improve advanced practice.
Integrates knowledge from the humanities and sciences within the context of nursing science.
Demonstrates behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society.
Participates in medical center committees, professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.
Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance.
Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment.
Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area.
Provides informal guidance and support to team members.
Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance and gain knowledge in new areas.
Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.
Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences.
Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.
Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.
Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness.
Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.
Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them.
Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring.
Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.
Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.
Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities.
Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.
Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.
Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.