Physician Assistant, RN First Assistant or Certified First Assistant

About the role

North Carolina Specialty Hospital (NCSH) is a private, physician-owned medical center that opened its doors in 1926. Its commitment to growth and continuous improvement has helped the hospital maintain a high ranking in both quality measures and patient satisfaction. North Carolina Specialty Hospital offers surgical specialties in orthopedics, ophthalmology, ear, nose, and throat, as well as sports medicine, oral, plastic, podiatry, general surgery, interventional radiology, pain management, reconstructive surgery, and more.

Physician assistant is a licensed healthcare professional who practices medicine under the direct supervision of a physician. The primary objective of this position is to deliver comprehensive, appropriate, safe, and cost-effective care for patients across the continuum of age and health, in accordance with established hospital policy and perioperative medicine guidelines. The APP will direct/provide care, in collaboration with anesthesia and hospital medicine, under supervision by a duly licensed physician, as they perform medical evaluation to determine the suitability of the patient for the proposed surgery; provide treatment recommendations and specialty referrals with the goal to mitigate or eliminate risk, where possible, so as to maximally optimize the patient for the proposed surgery.

Responsibilities

Provide surgical assistance in the operating room. Adapt to various surgeons and procedures to provide optimum assistance in the perioperative setting. Assess acute and non-acute clinical problems that may delay surgery or present specific needs while performing surgical intervention. Assist in pre-admission testing for patient evaluation and surgical clearance. Conduct interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary collaboration with physicians regarding patient management. Perform final check of all patient charts including lab work, EKG’s, x-rays, consultation reports the day before planned surgery. Collaborate with attending anesthesiologists about any preadmission testing assessments or outstanding patient care issues daily. Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to coordinate optimal preoperative preparation of patients undergoing procedures requiring anesthesia services. Conduct postoperative assessments on all admitted patients, evaluating labs and imaging data to guide medical decision making. Recognize and treat perioperative complications in collaboration with the surgical and anesthesia team.

Skills

• Able to work independently and meet established deadlines
• Able to make sound, reasonable decisions
• Highly organized
• Ability to concentrate on many detailed requests despite numerous interruptions
• Demonstrates accountability, professionalism, openness, receptive to change, creativity and innovation
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to develop excellent working relationships with patients, families and staff
• Seeks guidance, direction and assistance when needed
• Ability to be flexible and take on new responsibilities

Requirements

• Registered Nurse or Physician Assistant
• Graduated from an NCN or PA accredited master’s degree program
• Current RN or PA licensure in the state of North Carolina
• Certification as ACNP, CANP, or PA‑C
• ACLS certification