Advanced Practice Nurse (NP) - Vascular Surgery

Summary

The position is located at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital in San Antonio, TX and reports to Surgical Care. The APN in Vascular Surgery provides a full range of services and practices decisions autonomously and in consultation with physician and health care professionals, in a collegial relationship for mutual consultation and referral. Orders, facilitates, and interprets laboratory tests, diagnostic studies, and for Vascular Surgery patients to ensure timely completion.

Duties

The Vascular Surgery APN/NP is a licensed independent practitioner with advanced education and national certification who provides a full range of care utilizing treatment guidelines in the delivery of high-quality care. Major duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: Make practice decisions autonomously and in consultation with physician and health care professionals, in a collegial relationship for mutual consultation and referral. Order, facilitate, and interpret laboratory tests, diagnostic studies, and for Vascular Surgery patients to ensure timely completion. Write progress notes daily for General surgery patients and assist teams as necessary with other progress notes. Independently review or complete discharge summaries on all patients on a daily basis. Provide follow-up for evaluation of outcomes of x-rays, laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures. Detect and evaluate any significant change in patient's condition and provide treatment as indicated. Independently managing a panel of patients with acute and chronic health conditions with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention using evidence-based practice Providing assessments, evaluations, and care coordination of Veterans Prescribes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Developing and implementing an individualized plan to achieve optimal population health and disease management Ordering and interpreting labs, tests, and diagnostic studies. Demonstrates critical thinking in assessing and managing complex clinical situations. Communicates with patients via phone inquiries, secure messaging, etc. regarding surgical issues pre and post surgery. Aiding in health promotion, disease prevention, and health education Initiating referrals/consults for services, serving as a VA and community liaison Leads the delivery of care to assure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice, improving outcomes of panel/program. Communicates to attending surgeons and physicians regarding Vascular Surgery patients follow up and management of urologic procedures. Routinely staff the Vascular Surgery and Pre-Admission Surgical Screening Clinic (PASS) clinics In conjunction with Vascular Surgeon responsible for postoperative care of patients including inpatient rounding, discharge instructions from hospital, postoperative clinic evaluation and care. Educate patients on procedures to decrease post-operative wound infections, discuss some of the known risks of the surgery they are about to undergo, the pre-operative and post-operative expectations and expected hospital stay as needed. Maintaining written scopes of practice to medical aspects of patient care that are agreed upon and reviewed every 2 years by the APN and collaborating physician Identify systems issues affecting patient care and take appropriate actions to resolve the situation. Collaborate with nursing, MAS, radiology, pharmacy and other interdisciplinary services as indicated. Reviewing consults for Vascular Surgery and assigns to appropriate clinics for scheduling by MAS. Collaborate with the client/family to establish physical, mental, cultural and environmental factors that facilitate or impede expected goals of surgery and post operative discharge. Contributes to performance improvement initiatives by identifying, analyzing, developing, and implementing processes that improve care at the panel, program, or population level. Collaborates with stake holders to improve patient care, staff development, and performance measure. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: M-F, 7:30-4pm CST Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized EDRP: Not Authorized

Qualifications

Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Basic Requirements Education: A post-master's certificate or master's or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner. (Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). NOTE: Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs, the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency, such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current, full, active, and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment. License - All APN (NPs) must possess and maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NP in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. Basic Board Certification - All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current basic board certification as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) from one of the following: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared. Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (NP) assignment that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification. The following Scope, Education and Experience, and Dimension criteria must be met to qualify for Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) II: Exception to Licensure for Graduate Nurse Technicians. Candidates who otherwise meet the basic requirements, but do not possess the required licensure and/or certification, may be appointed at the entry step of the Nurse II, as a Graduate Nurse Technician - Nurse Practitioner on a temporary appointment up to any period not-to-exceed one year and a day under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(B). Scope: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others Education and Experience Requirement: Meets basic education requirement for APN (NP). Nurse II is considered the entry grade level for APN (NPs); no experience is required. Dimension Requirement: AP