Advanced Practice Professional- Pediatric Surgery

About the role

The West Virginia University Health System is a large health system comprising 18 hospitals and five institutes. It also manages other local hospitals through affiliate agreements. The role involves managing comprehensive and individualized care for pediatric surgery patients.

Responsibilities

• Manages comprehensive and individualized care for pediatric surgery patients and their families in the inpatient phase of hospitalization, immediate post-discharge, and in the ambulatory setting.
• Completes daily rounds; consults and/or pre-procedure/evaluations.
• Completes integrated assessments.
• Participates in the perioperative management of pediatric surgery patients which may include, but is not limited to First Assist in the operative suite.
• Orders additional tests or consults as deemed appropriate.
• Performs and communicates results of diagnostic tests following established clinical guidelines and scope of practice.
• Consults and communicates with clinic and hospital staff regarding abnormal findings in the evaluations of patients.
• Facilitates patient discharge by coordinating appropriate services and tests prior to discharge necessary for outpatient follow-up appointments (as applicable).
• Develops a comprehensive individualized plan of care for pediatric surgery patients, which includes teaching, discharge planning, and necessary referrals to other members of the health care team (as necessary).
• Identifies unstable or complex pediatric surgery patient care situations and facilitates appropriate intervention in the clinic and/or hospital setting.
• Recognizes emergency situations and initiates effective emergency care.
• Evaluates pediatric surgery patients and serves as a coordinator for follow-up procedures and tests in the ambulatory setting (as applicable).
• Assists in the collection of outcome measures (as applicable).
• Demonstrates critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning skills in clinical decision making by the identification, evaluation, and management of the individual needs of patients/families.
• Bases decisions made/actions taken on the relevant scientific principles, established standards of care, and/or research findings.
• Utilizes teaching/learning theory and appropriate teaching strategies in the provision of education to nursing staff, hospital staff, students, patients, families, and the community.
• Promotes an environment that facilitates learning by responding to appropriate patient/family preferences, priorities, and readiness to learn.
• Updates own knowledge base throughout the year.
• Completes all identified clinical competencies.
• Serves as a resource person for staff caring for the pediatric surgery patient.
• Provides educational programs to professional and paraprofessional personnel in area of expertise.
• Participates and initiates inter-disciplinary approaches to patient care, program development, and education.
• Serves as a professional role model.
• Participates and provides leadership for committees and task forces.
• Documents hours and submits billing reports, as appropriate.
• Reviews and interprets pediatric surgery data from sources such as patient registries, clinical and financial reports, length of stay, access to care, and cost per case reports and recommends/implements changes as necessary.
• Participates in clinical trials and research studies with the Principal Investigator.
• Affords assistance to pediatric surgery faculty, administrators, and directors in the collection of outcome measures.

Requirements

• Graduate of a CCNE accredited nursing program with Master’s Degree in Nursing.
• National Certification by one of the recognized APRN Certification Centers.
• Licensure or eligibility for licensure as a professional Registered Nurse and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in West Virginia.
• American Heart Association BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department.
• Department Specific: APRNs requesting to be privileged as First Assists are required to complete RNFA certification.
• Acute care, pediatric surgical experience preferred.
• Eligible new graduates will be considered.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree as Physician Assistant preferred.
• Graduate of an ARC-PA approved Physician Assistant (PA) training program required.
• Certification by the National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants required.
• Licensed or eligible for licensure by the WV Board of Medicine or WV Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
• American Heart Association BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department.
• Acute Care, Pediatric or Surgery Experience Preferred.
• Eligible new graduates will be considered.

Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency with computers.
• Strong communication skills.