Neurosurgery Physician Assistant | Full Time

Day-to-Day Duties
Provide post-operative care for neurosurgical patients, including those with brain, spine, and stroke-related conditions
Perform daily rounding and post-operative management
Prepare and complete discharge summaries
Assist with the management of patients with external ventricular drains (EVDs)
Evaluate and manage neurosurgery consults, including:
Presenting and discussing cases with neurosurgeons
Acting as a liaison between neurosurgery and other services (Medicine, Surgery, Trauma, SICU)
Respond to trauma patients with critical neurosurgical injuries in collaboration with trauma and emergency teams
Perform bedside procedures including:
Removal of neurosurgical drains
Assistance with EVD placement

Clinical Care
• The Physician Assistant (PA) or the Nurse Practitioner (NP) provides assessment, triage, and therapeutic management of patient/family needs throughout the disease process as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team. The NP/PA, whether the practice setting is the inpatient, ambulatory, or outpatient settings, provides optimal patient care, from diagnostic to prognostic matters. This individual works in collaboration with the attending supervising/collaborating physician(s) in accordance with state law and hospital regulations, hospital policy, protocols and clinical pathways and may provide autonomous team-based care.
• Obtains medical histories, performs physical examinations, reviews/orders diagnostic/therapeutic tests and radiologic results, formulates and manages patient treatment plans. The NP/PA may perform procedures, prescribe treatment and medications in accordance with institutional and state guidelines, as well as, when necessary for scope within specialty or professional competency standards. In some clinical specialties, the NP/PA may have autonomous practice managing certain patient populations.
• The NP/PA may also function as first or second assistant on operative cases (as long as within position scope and job educational prerequisites are in place), using fine motor skills and manual dexterity.
• Other clinical job duties may be applied in accordance with departmental and operational goals, training related to profession and practice necessitated guidelines and responsibilities, inclusive but not limited to responding to emergency situations within the YNHHS parameters

Patient Education & Psychosocial Support
• The NP/PA will educate patients/families on care and recommended or available resources. In collaboration with the supervising/collaborating MD, this may be inclusive of admitting instructions, treatment plan, actual and potential side effects of treatments/medications, and discharge plan.
• The NP/PA, as part of a multidisciplinary team, provides psychosocial support to patients, their family members, and significant others in a caring, ethical, and professional manner.
Information Management
• The NP/PA ensures appropriate documentation within the accordance of hospital and regulatory requirements and protects information of all forms, whether computer-based, paper, film, voice, or other media from unauthorized access modification, destruction, or intentional or accidental disclosure.

Quality Management
• The NP/PA is expected to demonstrate a high standard of moral and ethical behavior, professionalism, compassion, and commitment to patient care.
• Ensures compliance with patient related healthcare regulatory requirements, standards and recommendations.

Professional Development
• The NP/PA continuously engages in projects that maintain and advance professional competency.
• The NP/PA serves as a clinical resource for new house staff and may provide service specific orientation pertinent to clinical education
• Consistently demonstrates high reliability organizational behaviors through reporting safety events as well as near misses.
• The NP/PA continuously engages in projects that maintain and advance professional competency.
• Maintains all employee requirements determined by hospital policy.
• The NP/PA may serve as a clinical preceptor for NP/PA students and other health care professionals and may serve as a mentor to pre-PA/NP candidates.
• The NP/PA may collaborate on research, quality assurance and performance improvement projects, and assist with the formation of protocols that will be applied to clinical practice or further their educational and clinical expertise.

Performs patient care responsibilities as assigned.
• Identifies self to patient/family and explains to patient/family the roles of each member of the care delivery team.
• Accompanies patients to the exam/procedure room.
• Prepares patients for visit. Typically includes vital signs, height, weight, blood pressure, EKG, specimen collection (where applicable), phlebotomy (where applicable), INR (where applicable), pulse oximetry, spirometry, etc. Documents medical and surgical history, family history, social history, problem list, and medications in EPIC.
• Performs screening per physician/provider guidelines.
• Assists physicians/providers with various procedures.
• Obtain pre-authorizations when necessary.
• Convey instructions to patients/family members/caregivers.
• Provides appropriate resource materials and referrals to patient/family as instructed by physician/provider.
• Maintains patient records effectively.
• Efficiently manages and routinely checks the EPIC in-basket.
• Answers and returns calls promptly and provides pertinent information.

Performs administrative responsibilities as assigned.
• Sends/receives patient medical records and abstracts new patient records into EPIC.
• Obtains lab/radiology reports, hospital notes, and referral information as requested.
• Completes forms/requisitions as needed.
• Cross-trained on front desk duties, including but not limited to greeting patients/visitors, answering calls, scheduling appointments, and maintaining/scanning patient medical records.

Performs environmental responsibilities as assigned.
• Sets up instruments and equipment according to department protocol.
• Applies principles of infection control.
• Cleans exam/procedures rooms, instruments, and equipment between patient visits to maintain infection control following established department policy.
• Cleans the sterilizer (when applicable) according to the scheduled maintenance program and maintains appropriate documentation.
• Orders, sorts, and stores supplies following established department policy.
Performs other related organizational duties as assigned.
• Maintains patient autonomy, confidentiality, and dignity.
• Ensures providers submit timely and accurate billing.
• Maintains knowledge of practice policy, HIPAA, current coding, OSHA regulations and CLIA regulations (where applicable).
• Provides prompt attention to urgent and non-urgent patient issues as evidenced by observation and feedback from staff.
• Quickly shares problems related to patients and/or staff with the supervisor.
• Work with the Care Coordinator for Patient Centered Medical Home initiatives.
• Attend and actively participate in staff meetings.
• Collaborate in the development and delivery of programs and activities for individuals, families and population groups that promote health and prevent disease.
• Collaborates in the development of and contributes to individual team and department quality improvement and evaluation activities.
• Advocate on behalf of vulnerable individuals and populations.
• Contribute to a work environment that fosters ongoing educational experiences for self, colleagues, healthcare professionals and members of the community.
• Collaborate in developing a work environment where continuous quality improvements in practice are pursued.
• Utilize appropriate methods for interacting effectively and professionally with persons of all ages and from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, lifestyles and physical abilities.
• Coordinate efforts to gain patient and family feedback regarding their experiences of healthcare (focus groups, surveys, and other means) and participate in interventions which address articulated needs.