Physician Assistant Surgical First Assistant - Cardiovascular OR (CVOR)

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Organization

MOR Cardiac Surgery 10

Job Summary

The Physician Assistant (PA) First Assistant works in collaboration with a multidisciplinary health care team. The surgical (PA) provides healthcare in the surgical setting to include the responsibilities of the first and second assist to the surgeon.

Other responsibilities may include pre-operative history and physical, progress notes, and education for the patient/family. The (PA) has didactic education, clinical competency and national certification in identified area of clinical practice, including first assist competency.

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.

The (PA) has an advanced knowledge of surgical interventions and the responsibilities of a first assistant in the operating room.

Position Hours

• Full- Time - Shifts are variable
• Call Required

Requirements

• Physician Assistant (PA) Strongly Preferred
• 1 Year of Surgical PA Experience Strongly Preferred
• Open to ICU and OR (hybrid model)

Key Responsibilities

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 specific to the surgical area.

• Performs first assistant role in the surgical environment
• 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.
• May 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 operative area and appropriate unit or recovery areas.

Technical Capabilities

Professionalism (Advanced): Demonstrates behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in medical center committees, professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.

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 (Advanced): Demonstrates care that is compassionate, appropriate and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease and care at the end of life. Within scope of licensure and certification, manages previously diagnosed and undiagnosed patients.

Uses health assessment skills to differentiate between normal, variations of normal, and abnormal findings. Employs screening and diagnostic strategies in the development of diagnoses. Prescribes medications within scope of practice.

Manages health/illness status of patients and families over time and across the continuum. Provides patient-centered care recognizing the patient or designee as a full partner in decision making.

Creates a climate of patient-centered care to include confidentiality privacy, comfort, emotional support, mutual trust, and respect. Incorporates cultural and spiritual preferences, values and beliefs into health care.

Preserves the patient's control over decision making by negotiating a mutually acceptable plan of care. Integrates ethical principles into decision making. Uses electronic health record to capture data on variables for the evaluation and management of patient care. Clearly documents findings, assessment and plan of care.

Clinical Knowledge and Practice (Advanced): Demonstrates established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others. Demonstrates knowledge of population focus but also other sciences that support his/her field of practice.

Demonstrates knowledge of common and important health issues affecting society and other societies around the globe. Demonstrates commitment in maintaining current evidence based knowledge through continuous learning.

Educates patients, families, students and other members of the healthcare team in clinical topics and application of clinical knowledge.

Health Systems and Policy Management (Advanced): Demonstrates sufficient fundamental proficiency in behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.

Our Nursing Philosophy

We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s mission of quality in patient care, education and research. We believe nursing is an applied art and science focused on helping people, families and communities reach excellent health and well-being.

As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center employee, you make a difference to our patients and their families by bringing compassion and care to those in need of hope and healing. Please see our current employee benefits offered:

• Affordable High Quality Health Plan Options
• Dental and /or vision plan
• 403 (b) retirement plan
• Paid Time off (flex PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied)
• Short-Long term disability

Subsidized Backup Childcare

And many more... Ask us about our current inpatient nursing supplemental Pay Program!

Achieve the Remarkable

Learn more about VUMC Nursing here.

Core Accountabilities

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences.

Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness.

Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring.

Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Gener