Physician Assistant - Neurosurgery

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Organization:

Neurological Surgery

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY
The Surgical Physician Assistant (PA) works in collaboration with a multidisciplinary health care team, focusing on adult hydrocephalus, CSF disorders, and related neurosurgical conditions, in addition to general cranial and spinal neurosurgery. The PA will support and contribute to growth of a subspecialty referral center in hydrocephalus and CSF disorders, to include standard care but also developing new care protocols, improving quality of care, and participating in research efforts. This is a position with both outpatient responsibilities and inpatient surgical assist. Experience in neurosurgery is preferred, but not necessary.

The PA provides healthcare in ambulatory and acute care health care settings, including management of surgical patients from pre-operative, peri-operative and post-operative phases of care. The PA has didactic education, clinical competency and national certification in identified area of clinical practice. The PA demonstrates medical knowledge, clinical judgment, technical competence, professionalism, interpersonal communication skills, timely and compliant documentation, and is responsible for professional development and competency validation.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Performs neurosurgical bedside procedures inpatient and outpatient.
• Assists with surgery.

• Obtains and documents a health history; performs and documents complete, system-focused, or symptom-specific physical examination, assessment and plan of care.
• In collaboration, provides healthcare services for primary, acute and complex care of patients and manages patient's overall care, identifying expected outcomes for diagnoses.
• Orders, performs, interprets and collects data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant supporting diagnostic information and diagnostic procedures where indicated.
• Forms differential diagnoses and treats acute and chronic conditions.
• Prescribes therapeutic interventions both pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic and surgical, needed to achieve expected outcomes.
• Utilizes evidence-based, approved practice protocols in planning and implementing care;
• Initiates appropriate referrals and consultations;
• Provides specialty specific consultation services upon request and within specialty scope of practice;
• Facilitates the patient’s transition between and within health care settings, such as admitting, transferring, and discharging patients.


TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
• Professionalism (Advanced): Demonstrates behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, an understanding and sensitivity to diversity and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in medical center committees, professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice and/or health outcomes of a population focus.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills (Advanced): Demonstrates interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of health care teams. Communicates practice knowledge effectively both orally and in writing.
• Practice-Based Scholarly Inquiry and Integration (Advanced): Demonstrates the use of scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate and improve patient care practices. Anticipates variations in practice and is proactive in implementing interventions to improve quality. Uses best available evidence to continuously improve quality of clinical practice. Generates knowledge from clinical practice to improve practice and patient outcomes. Reviews data and evidences to improve advanced practice. Integrates knowledge from the humanities and sciences within the context of nursing science.
• Patient and Family Centered Care (