Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner – Pre-Operative Assessment

Regional One Health is currently seeking a Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner for Pre-Operative Assessment

JOB SUMMARY AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The position of Pre-Operative Advanced Practitioner (POAP) is intended to meet various objectives. The primary objective is to ensure that patients requiring anesthetic evaluation before day of surgery are optimized. The second is to ensure that we appropriately identify patients who do not require in-person evaluation. As a result, this position should help minimize the cancellation rate due to inadequate preoperative assessment.

The POAP will work in collaboration with the ROH Staff, surgeons and especially physician anesthesiologists and the anesthesia resident to deliver pre-operative health care services to patients and families. Assembling the medical screen of patients, completing a pertinent history and physical examination are basic tasks of this position. Ensuring that requisite laboratory and other studies are available for the anesthesia team to review in advance of the DOS is also required. The POAP will also be responsible for maintaining efficient patient flow, clinical assessment, planning, initiating medical interventions and diagnostic work-ups, and providing patient, family and community education.

The POAP is a critical team member, interfacing with numerous offices, physicians, support staff, patients and family members. For this reason, strong communication skills and discretion in dealing with all of these various stakeholders are important skills. Specific knowledge concerning the perioperative process will be taught, but compassion and a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility are necessary prerequisites.

Essential Functions:

• Examine, interview, and consent patients for pre-anesthesia assessment and optimization prior to surgery and anesthesia. Order any lab, imaging tests, or consults required, based on protocol, prior to anesthesia
• Telephone screen those who do not meet criteria to be seen in pre-anesthesia optimization/testing center to elicit basic history and for patients that cannot make it to PATS. Complete full H&P and Preop Module in the anesthesia EHR for patients seen in pre-anesthesia optimization/testing center.
• Review medical records for patients who do not need to be seen or who do not come to pre-anesthesia optimization/testing center for adequacy of medical optimization prior to anesthesia and surgery.
• Follow up on all records and tests ordered and review medical records for lab/imaging/consult results and add to the documentation.
• Work with Department of Anesthesiology leadership in developing screening criteria following ASA guidelines for optimization prior to surgery and anesthesia
• Assesses, treats, and manages specific medical illnesses and conditions according to medical regime utilizing established protocols.
• Consults and works collaboratively with physicians and other health care providers in compliance with iRESPECT standards to coordinate and implement activities, promote patient/customer satisfaction and to develop an effective treatment plan. Provides direction to other personnel and reviews medical records to verify that patient’s care plan and medical needs are being met.
• Provides referrals for hospitalization, tests, therapies or specialty consultations; makes hospital rounds if indicated.
• Consults the physician anesthesiologist for any complicated or poorly optimized patients.
• Advises and counsels patients and/or others concerning physical and developmental well-being and defines the needs and problems. Identifies community health resources and guides patients and/or significant others in their use.
• Provides for continuity of effective patient and family care by exchanging information and cooperating with other community health/social service agencies, hospitals and health care providers.
• Develops and implements plans for teaching and counseling individuals, families and groups in various settings for the prevention of disease and maintenance of health.
• Assists in the orientation and oversees the supervision of new staff members, residents, and students when they provide patient care, treatment and services as part of their training.

Documentation:

• Documents and updates medical and patient charts.
• Prepares and maintains required records, reports, statistics and files.
• Ensures patient care activities are updated and documented according to hospital policies and procedures.
• Ensures charges are documented on unit capture sheet and forwarded to proper location/staff for entry into billing system.
• Collects and enters patient information into database system.
• Ensures all charts are signed by physician before releasing to medical record department.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION: Graduate of an accredited Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant program.

EXPERIENCE: Pre-operative Assessment experience as an NP or PA highly preferred. 2 years’ RN experience required for NPs.

LICENSE OR CERTIFICATION:

Current licensure as a Nurse Practitioner for Physician Assistant in State of Tennessee required. Eligible for Certificate of Fitness (Prescriptive privileges) in State of Tennessee required. BLS required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Constant walking, standing; lifting and positioning patients/equipment; exposure to infectious agents. Visual acuity is needed to access color changes. Heavy Work – Exerting up to 150 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 75 pounds of force frequently and/or up to 30 pounds of force constantly to move objects. (May be further defined as “with or without assistance.”)

Location: Regional One Health · Anesthesiology Schedule: Full-time, Day shift, 8a – 5p