ADVANCED PRACTICE PROFESSIONALS - Orthopedics – Sports Medicine Nurse Practitioner (85001) or Physician Assistant (85101)

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 area of specialty. The APP is responsible for delivering evidence-based care, promoting positive patient outcomes, maintaining professional and regulatory standards, and supporting the clinical, educational, and operational goals of the department and organization.

This position is for Advanced Practice Professionals in Orthopedics – Sports Medicine, either as a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant. The role is exempt, reports to the Administrator and Faculty Supervisor, and is located at 4605 Maccorkle Ave SW, South Charleston, West Virginia. Scheduled weekly hours are 40.

Position Summary

The Advanced Practice Professional (APP) has coordination and clinical skills required for the comprehensive management of sports medicine patients (including biological, social, and psychological assessments). The APP coordinates involvement of medical/surgical specialty teams necessary to develop a comprehensive plan for the patient, reviews the plan of care with other members of the clinical team, participates in directing that care, performs diagnostic/therapeutic procedures, peri-operative services, and coordinates discharge planning (as applicable). The APP participates in the education of residents and medical/nursing students. Provides healthcare services consistent with state law and the requirements of the professional licensing or certification authority and/or hospital privileges, where applicable.

Minimum 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 West Virginia
• CNOR Certification required
• BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department

Preferred Qualifications — Nurse Practitioner

• Acute care, surgical, orthopedics, or sports medicine experience preferred
• Eligible new graduates will be considered

Minimum Qualifications — Physician Assistant

• Bachelor's Degree as Physician Assistant, or Master's Degree as 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 WV Board of Medicine
• BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department

Preferred Qualifications — Physician Assistant

• Master's level degree as Physician Assistant preferred

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• Manages comprehensive and individualized care for sports medicine patients and their families in the inpatient phase of hospitalization and immediate post-discharge in the ambulatory setting
• Completes daily rounds; consults and/or pre-procedure evaluations
• Completes integrated assessments
• With the collaboration of sports 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 discharge by coordinating appropriate services and tests prior to discharge necessary for outpatient follow-up appointments in the clinic (as applicable)
• Develops a comprehensive individualized plan of care for sports medicine patients, which includes teaching, discharge 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 sports medicine patient care situations and facilitates appropriate intervention in the clinic and/or hospital setting
• Recognizes emergency situations and initiates effective emergency care
• Evaluates sports 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
• Demonstrates the ability to utilize equipment in a safe manner
• 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 sports medicine patient
• Provides educational programs to professional and paraprofessional personnel in area of expertise
• Participates in community programs, distribution of literature, as appropriate in area of expertise
• Documents the plan of care, interventions, and evaluations in a clear and concise manner for every patient visit in the patient's medical record following approved hospital/UHA policies and compliance standards for documentation
• Collaborates with other leaders and staff to effectively achieve patient outcome-based improvements in care
• Provides leadership in the development and implementation of changes in the sports medicine practice that positively impact patient outcomes
• Works collaboratively with medical and nursing staff to facilitate creative problem solving and provide professional support
• Participates and initiates inter-disciplinary approaches to patient care, program development, and education
• Serves as a professional role model
• Promotes and practices innovation of the expanded role in the delivery of care to sports medicine patients and families throughout the inpatient hospitalization and the ambulatory setting
• Participates and provides leadership for committees and task forces
• Documents hours and submits billing reports, as appropriate
• Reviews and interprets sports medicine 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
• Assists sports medicine Faculty, Administrators, and Directors in the collection of outcome measures
• Other duties/projects as assigned

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 weighing 40+ pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Environment

• Working closely with others
• 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