Advanced Practice Professional- Primary Care

The West Virginia University Health System, the state’s largest health system and largest private employer, comprises 18 hospitals throughout the state and bordering states. In addition, it includes five institutes, as well as providing management services for other local hospitals through affiliate agreements. Whether you are caring for our patients at one of the critical access hospitals, community sites, regional or academic medical centers, we are all one WVU Health System. Work Here. Thrive Here.

About the role

POSITION SUMMARY: The Advanced Practice Professional (APP) has coordination and clinical skills required for the comprehensive management of primary care and behavioral medicine patients, (including biological, social and psychological assessments). The APP coordinates involvement of medical specialty teams necessary to develop a comprehensive plan for the patient, and reviews the plan of care with the other members of the clinical team, participates in directing that care, performs diagnostic/therapeutic procedures and coordinates discharge planning (as applicable). The APP participates in the education of residents and medical/nursing students.

Responsibilities

• Manages comprehensive and individualized care for primary care and behavioral medicine patients and their families in the ambulatory setting.
• Consults and/or pre-procedure/evaluations, acute visits and wellness visits.
• Completes integrated assessments.
• With the collaboration of primary care and behavioral medicine faculty or by following established clinical Guidelines and Protocols, 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.
• Performs succinct comprehensive clinical evaluations and documents findings in medical record.
• Facilitates patient follow-up by coordinating appropriate services and tests for follow-up appointments in the clinic (as applicable).
• Develops a comprehensive individualized plan of care for primary care patients, which includes teaching, follow-up planning and necessary referral to other members of the health care team as necessary.
• Demonstrates expertise in caring for patients across the age continuum of their educational experience and certification.
• Identifies unstable or complex primary care patient care situations and facilitates appropriate intervention in the clinic and/or hospital setting.
• Recognizes emergency situations and initiates effective emergency care.
• Evaluates primary care and behavioral medicine 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/internal 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 primary care 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 primary care 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 in the collection of outcome measures.

Qualifications

• Nurse Practitioner: 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 state of Practice Maryland. BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department. Primary care experience preferred. Eligible new graduates will be considered.
• Physician Assistant: Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree as a Medical/Surgical (as applicable) Physician Assistant required. Graduate of an ARC-PA approved Physician Assistant (PA) training program required. Certification by the National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants required. Must be licensed or eligible for licensure by the Board of Medicine in state of practice. BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department. Primary care experience preferred. Eligible new graduates will be considered.

Skills and abilities

• Proficiency with computers.
• Strong communication skills.

Physical requirements

Heavy/Hard Work: Work requires strength and/or stamina, lifting, moving, stooping, reaching, positioning of patients, standing, walking, and carrying of patients, materials and equipment weighting 40+ pounds.

Working environment

Protracted or irregular hours. Working around biohazards. Working around infectious diseases. Working with or near the deceased. Working with hands in water. Electrical hazards associated with patient care equipment.