Job Abstract

Role: The Nurse Practitioner will provide comprehensive care to patients in collaboration with all members of the health care team, patients and their families. The primary role of the Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Surgery is to support the surgical house staff in the care of pre and post operative patients.
Duties:

• Communicate with surgical house staff, attending and consulting physicians regarding patient condition and progress as well as any issues that may arise. Communicate with patients’ families.
• Admission of patients from: PACU/Operating Room, Emergency Room, direct admissions, intra-hospital transfers and transfers from other institutions.
  • Perform History & Physicals
  • Consultations
  • Admission Orders
  • Preoperative Orders
  • Post Operative Orders
  • Restraint/seclusion orders
  • Call appropriate consults
  • Identifies differential diagnosis and orders medications (all schedule 2, 3, 4, and 5 drugs), treatments and pertinent diagnostic studies and laboratory tests
  • Follows up on all diagnostic studies and laboratory tests
  • Perform invasive procedures to include, but not limited to insertion of intravenous catheters, foley catheters, naso-gastric tubes, dressing changes, wound care, debridement of wounds, ostomy care, venous blood draws, and removal of central line catheters, intravenous catheters, foley catheters, naso-gastric tubes surgical drains and chest tubes
• Daily Care of Patients:
  • Conduct daily patient rounds and record findings in progress daily notes and communicates findings to surgical house staff
  • Determine and implement therapeutic plans of care in collaboration with Residents, Attending Physicians, and health care team
  • Ordering of medications (all schedule 2, 3, 4, and 5 drugs), treatments and pertinent diagnostic studies and laboratory tests
  • Follows up on all diagnostic studies and laboratory tests
  • Perform invasive procedures as outlined above
  • Participate on rounds with care managers and social workers as needed
  • Be able to address medical concerns of patients, nurses, therapists and physicians as an issue arises
  • Work as a member of the health care team addressing medical issues as they arise
  • Assisting and educating patients and families regarding preventative health care and health maintenance concepts
  • Assist in the hand off of patients from day to day and in the transition across levels of care (PACU, ICU, Step Down, etc.)
• Discharge of Patients
  • Order appropriate discharge planning (i.e., need for VNA, special supplies, home physical therapy, etc.)
  • Provide post operative/hospital education to patients and families
  • Provide discharge orders including prescriptions for post hospital medications, diagnostic studies, and laboratory tests
  • Order appropriate follow up in attending physician offices and specialty clinics
  • Dictate discharge summaries
• Demonstration of patters of continued learning in order to ensure growth as a practitioner.
• Performs other duties deemed necessary by the Attending physician and supervisors.