APP - Neurosurgery

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

• Manages comprehensive and individualized care for neurosurgery patients and their families in the procedural and inpatient phase of hospitalization and in the ambulatory setting (as applicable).
• Serves in the perioperative arena including but not limited to OR First Assist in the operating suite.
• Completes pre-procedural/surgical evaluations.
• Completes integrated assessments for perioperative patients and assists with inpatient management as OR schedules allow.
• Collaborates with neurosurgery 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.
• Facilitates patients’ presurgical, intraoperative and postoperative needs by coordinating appropriate services and tests necessary for care.
• Develops a comprehensive individualized plan of care for neurosurgery patients, which includes teaching, disposition planning follow-up 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 neurosurgery patient care situations and facilitates appropriate intervention in the clinic and/or hospital setting.
• Recognizes emergency situations and initiates effective emergency care.
• 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 neurosurgery 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 neurosurgery 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 neurosurgery Faculty, Administrators and Directors in the collection of outcome measures.

Qualifications

• 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.
• APRNs requesting to be privileged as OR First Assist will be required to complete RNFA education/certification.
• American Heart Association BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department.

• 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 or WV Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
• American Heart Association BLS Certification required with additional Advanced Life Support training at the discretion of the department.

Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency with computers.
• Strong communication skills.