Department Overview

The OHSU Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) is seeking a full-time nurse practitioner or physician assistant to join our team to be staffed in the Emergency Department’s Observation Unit at Hillsboro Medical Center.

The OHSU Department of Emergency Medicine started managing this department in 2017. This is a classical community emergency department, 31,000 visits annually, on the west side of Portland/Hillsboro in an agricultural based region. The department sees a wide variety of pathology and serves a large Latino and pediatric population. The hospital is a stroke center and also has a cardiac catheterization lab. The hospital staff is undergoing major transformation and many OHSU Marquam Hill departments are now providing specialty services at HMC. Unlike most community Emergency Departments, there is an academic blend to HMC.

The Emergency Department Observation Unit is a 10 bed Unit with 7.00FTE staffing three daily, 8-hour shifts, providing 24-hour APP coverage. The Unit is dedicated to caring for patients up to a 48-hour period, who have been discharged from the emergency department but require further short-term treatment, assessment, and reassessment before a decision can be made regarding whether patients will require further treatment as hospital inpatients or if they are able to be discharged from the hospital.

As part of our emergency services team you will have autonomy as well as support with immediate access for advice and assistance from the supervisor and attending physicians staffed in the emergency department. You will also be supported in maintaining and raising your clinical skills in this learning organization through involvement in skills labs, peer review and CME support. Monthly education meetings allow for a focused group discussion and a process of care standardization.

The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) is credentialed and privileged as a Physician Assistant (PA) or an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) (in a respective Specialty area; i.e., Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)). The APP is a member of the OHSU Professional Staff practicing in accordance with the respective bylaws. The APP shall provide services as assigned by the supervisor in furtherance of the university’s missions and goals of teaching, research, patient care, outreach and public service. The APP is expected to comply with scope of practice, other laws, regulations, OHSU policy, and other applicable professional standards of practice.

The Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant APP participates in providing services as an advanced practice provider, according to the parameters of the written practice agreement (separate document) with the Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. The APP is supported by the designated Emergency Medicine attending.

Function/Duties of Position

Clinical Activities (not related to teaching or research):

• Assessing and managing patients
• Collaborate with other members of the team to communicate with and transition care back to the patient’s PCP and DC patients in a timely manner.
• Ordering appropriate diagnostic studies and laboratory tests to aid in the diagnosis of known or suspected injuries or illnesses.
• Interpreting results of diagnostic laboratory procedures.
• Prescribing therapy based on clinical, radiologic, and laboratory indications.
• Dictating and/or documenting patient care in a clear and concise manner.
• Communicating with the Emergency Medicine attending regarding patient variations from the care plan or deterioration in patient condition
• Providing patient and family teaching regarding their disease process, follow up care, appropriate use of prescribed medication, and assessing the need for consultations and referrals.
• Assessment and treatment of low acuity patients and initiating work-ups on more complex patients staffed with and attending physician in the Acute Emergency Area.

Education (include types of teaching and types of student taught):

• May teach medical students, residents, nursing students, nurse practitioner, and paramedic students, providing clinical instruction to residents and medical students related to the delivery of observation services in the emergency department.

Administrative Activities:

• Assistance in decreasing cost through the development and use of protocols and practice guidelines.

Other Activities:

• Participating in Emergency Department quality assurance activities
• Enhancement of cost effectiveness and quality of care
• Increase patient satisfaction indicated by an improvement in satisfaction scores;

Required Qualifications

Education: Master’s Degree as required by specific Advanced Practice Provider role.

Experience: Prefer 2-3 years clinical experience as an APP that demonstrates ability to fulfill responsibilities for the specific role or 2-3 years nursing or other experience providing clinical care in an emergency setting.

Job Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to satisfy standards of performance delineated by law and associated professional practice standards, the latter set forth as an addendum to the position description.
• Ability to manage heavy workload with multiple priorities and inflexible deadlines.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Proficient in the use of computing hardware and software, including personal computing equipment, electronic medical record, word processing and spreadsheet software.
• Regular and consistent attendance at work.

Registrations, Certifications and/or Licenses: Current licensure as required by specific Advanced Practice Provider governing board(s).

• A qualified candidate must be a certified Nurse Practitioner or certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants; Must have a current Oregon NP or PA license prior to start date. The APP must complete the credentialing process and be approved by the OHSU Professional Board to practice as an independent practitioner in an acute care/emergency setting. The APP must be registered with Federal Drug Enforcement Administration and be authorized to prescribe medications according to the Oregon State Board of Nursing Formulary for Nurse Practitioners or the Oregon Medical Board Physician Assistant Practice Description.

All are welcome

Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.