Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner - Neonatal ICU (NICU)

About the role

Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, is a top-ranked hospital with 1062 patient beds. It offers comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.

Job Summary

The Neonatal APP provides direct patient care services and performs medical procedures under the supervision of a supervisory physician in specialized neonatal units such as Intensive Care Nurseries, Intermediate Care Nurseries, and Special Care Nurseries within the Duke University Health System. The NNP contributes to excellence in patient care, research, teaching, and provides leadership in the organization.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the attending of service and/or fellows, round daily on patients to assess, diagnose, plan treatment, set priorities and realistic outcomes, and evaluate the effectiveness and cost efficiency of patient care.
• Provide and coordinate clinical care for service specific patients through established protocols and under the hospitalist supervising physician or backup physician who is either on site or available by pager.
• Collaborate with fellows, attending, other APP colleagues, nurses, and patient resource managers to formulate treatment plans and monitor patient progress.
• Perform procedures specific to the work environment after demonstrated competency and within the guidelines of scope of practice and credentialing protocols.
• Assess patients for change in status and institute appropriate interventions. Initiate emergency interventions in an effort to stabilize the patient until physician support arrives.
• Post-procedural stabilization and management.
• Develop patient care pathways, protocols and guidelines for the management of specific problems in conjunction with physicians and other members of the health care team.
• Communicate verbally and in writing all pertinent patient information to supervising MD, nursing staff, patient resource manager, home health agency, and other relevant healthcare providers.
• Document in the patients' medical record all relevant data including but not limited to results of diagnostic tests; laboratory results; patients' condition and response to therapies/interventions; communications with supervising MD.
• Prescribe appropriate interventions and medications, and provide direct patient care services.
• Role model competence in all nurse practitioner/physician assistant advanced skills.
• Give daily handoff to appropriate attending, APP, or fellow at the end of the shift.
• Assess educational needs of the patient-care staff and provide one-on-one as well as formal education as needed.
• Assess educational needs of the patients/families and provide culturally-sensitive patient/family education interventions as indicated.
• Document all education in patients' medical record.
• Implement and evaluate appropriate educational programs for DUHS patient care staff and other healthcare providers as appropriate.
• Role model and precept healthcare learners through contractual agreements.
• Utilize current research and evidence-based decision-making in all clinical practice.
• Incorporate clinical research findings in the development and implementation of standards of care.
• Participate in interdisciplinary quality improvement and/or research activities.
• Provide expertise and resource information to other healthcare providers, patients, and families, and the community at large related to pediatric diseases, procedures, interventions, and conditions.
• Develop, implement and evaluate standards of care/practice guidelines/policies and procedures/care maps/protocols within area of specialization.
• Maintain all professional requirements for licensure and certification.

Job Eligibility Requirements

• Education: NP: Graduate of accredited MSN or DNP Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program
  PA: Graduate of accredited Master’s Degree or Doctoral Degree Physician Assistant Program plus a Neonatal APP Fellowship Certification
• Certification: NP: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
  PA: PA-C
• Licenses: NP: Current and unrestricted RN license issued by or recognized by the NCBON with approval to practice as NP
  PA: Current and unrestricted medical license issued by the NCMB with approval to practice as PA
  Both: Fed & State DEA license
• Experience: NP: 3 years RN experience as neonatal nurse, 1-year NNP experience preferred
  PA: 1 year PA experience thru neonatal fellowship or as neonatal provider

Job Hours

Primary hours will be rotational covering 24 hours / 7 days per week including nights, weekends, and holidays. The Neonatal APP must also be flexible to provide on-call coverage, as needed.