Physician Assistant, Neurosurgery

Position Summary

Provides advanced, specialized assistance to physicians in the treatment and care of patients in hospital, operating room, emergency room, outreach, and clinical settings. Such care includes but is not limited to preparation for and assistance in surgery; issuance of inpatient orders; patient assessment and treatment; independent patient caseload management; and patient and staff instruction/education. Administers highest quality patient care under consultation of physician, and in accordance with Park Nicollet Medical Center standards. Serves as a patient advocate by maintaining patient confidentiality, protecting patient rights, and resolving concerns or complaints regarding care or service.

Minimum Qualifications

Education, Experience or Equivalent Combination: Graduate from an American Medical Association and C.A.H.E.A. approved physician assistant program resulting in a Bachelor of Science degree in Medicine. Three or more years of related clinical and surgical experience in the specialty area of medicine.

Licensure/Registration/Certification: If informally trained prior National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (N.C.C.P.A.) certification. This position requires credentialing, following the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) guidelines. CPR certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Incumbent must have successfully passed the examination and maintain current certification through the National Board of Medical Examiners.
• Leadership skills
• Demonstrates knowledge of age-related growth and development principles necessary to provide appropriate service and ensure safety of patients.
• Proven proficiency in the operation of the following: Telephone, Photocopier, Fax Machine, Operating Room Equipment, Traction Devices, Syringes, Catheters, Electrodes, Dressing Applications, Scalpels, Incision Closure Devices, Debridement Equipment, and Pager.

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong clinical, human relations, leadership, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Extensive knowledge in surgical methodologies for specialty area of practice.
• Proven ability to accurately assess patient conditions, utilizing sound judgment in problem solving and responding to patient needs.

Essential Duties

• (20-40%) – Provides surgical assistance to physician. Schedules and prepares operating room and equipment; properly preps, drapes, and positions patients; scrubs; and assists physician in the performance of surgical procedures. May perform under the direction of physician, surgical procedures such as but not limited to incisions, vein harvesting, vessel exposure, and incision closure.
• (5-15%) – Makes hospital rounds in both intensive care and ward settings and performs patient care services which include but are not limited to such procedures as lumbar punctures, traction, debridement, halo application, injections, catheter insertion and/or adjustment, dressing, application, removal of tubes and electrodes, wound/incision care, urethral, dilation, catheterization, and ultrasound, related to prostrate biopsies.
• (10-20%) – Independently provides patient and/or family management including education, counseling, medication management, and general health care or home care instructions.
• (1-10%) – Maintains independent clinical schedule, providing patient assessment and treatment under the direction of or in consultation with physician. Makes referrals for evaluation or treatment by a physician when appropriate.
• (5-15%) – Writes hospital orders on individual patient treatment plans and/or medication regiments and conducts patient discharge planning.
• (5-15%) – Acts as liaison between the patient/family and the physician, hospital, medical staff, or outside agencies involved with the patient care.
• (1-10%) – Initiates emergency care of acutely ill/injured patients in emergency room, intensive care, or hospital ward settings (under physicians' direction or consultation), until physician can presume treatment.
• (15-30%) – Consults with physician on unusual or abnormal cases and makes appropriate referrals for evaluation or treatment.
• (10-20%) – Documents effectively by completing within 24 hours a report on any communication with or about the patient that directly affects his/her care. This will include the physician assistant's assessment, intervention, and plan, as well as progress notes and discharge summaries. Completes reports requested by schools, outside agencies, referral sources, and payers in a timely manner.
• (5-15%) – Performs patient follow-up including returning phone calls, evaluating, and processing test results, dictating medical record information, compiling reports, and maintaining necessary paperwork.
• (5-15%) – Serves as resource to nursing staff providing continuing education.
• (1-10%) – Assists in the development of new policies, programs, procedures, materials, or techniques for department.
• (1-10%) – Takes rotation of on-call duty, responding promptly and effectively to patient care needs during scheduled on-call shift.
• (1-10%) – Performs other tasks as assigned.

Job description rankings/percentages are intended to reflect normal averages over an extended period of time, and are subject to daily variances. Quality and efficiency standards should at no time be compromised to meet the average expectations expressed above. Job descriptions are subject to change to accommodate organization or department needs.

Organizational Expectations

Values: All colleagues are expected to live our values: Excellence (strive for the best results and always look for ways to improve); Compassion (care and show empathy and respect for each person); Partnership (strongest when we work together and with those we serve); Integrity (open and honest, and keep our commitments).

Additional Expectations: Complies with safety instructions, observe safe work practices, provides input on safety issues, and promotes a safe work environment. Maintains regular and timely attendance. Protects confidentiality. Demonstrates participation in and support of the organization's Corporate Integrity Program by participating in compliance-related education and training and complying with the organization's policies and procedures. Timely completion of all mandatory education and organizational requirements (i.e., licensure/certification, Employee Health and Wellness requirements, annual training, etc.)

Population-Specific Competencies

This employee has direct patient contact. Departments will need to determine the appropriate competencies in their areas for their specific patient populations documented in the essential duties section. Examples include:

• Identifies expected outcomes for a plan individualized to the patient or situation specific to the needs of the population served.
• Communicates effectively with patients, families, and team members.
• Integrates practices that supports patient safety, acknowledges variations in populations served.
• Anticipates the needs of the population served as well as the unique characteristics of the communities served.
• Anticipates the needs of the population in providing culturally responsive care and develops an individualized plan for patients and families.

Leadership Responsibility

The surgical physician assistant is responsible for the independent assessment of patients within his/her caseload making clinical decisions based upon their assessment and has the authority to refer directly to community resources when indicated. Under the direction of or in consultation with the physician, the incumbent has the authority to make hospital rounds, write medication orders and treatment plans, initiate emergency treatment, and perform certain surgical and patient follow-up procedures.