At Orthopaedic Specialists, our employees are our single greatest asset. We strive to provide a professional, supportive environment where every member of our team can make a meaningful difference in the lives of the patients we serve. Orthpaedic Specialists offers a competitve compensation package, excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits, and a generous 401k package.

General Description : Responsible for providing services, including assessing, diagnosing, prescribing, treating, and educating patients who have musculoskeletal problems, including diseases or injuries of the bones, muscles, joints, and supporting connective tissue. Works closely with other clinicians in a team approach to providing health care to orthopaedic patients. May examine and treat patients under the guidance of their collaborating/supervising physician.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education, training, and experience:

Nurse Practitioner (NP): MSN required. Successful completion of advanced practitioner training and certification as a practitioner from an approved nurse practitioner program. Minimum one year of professional experience in a clinic setting.

Physician Assistant (PA): Bachelor’s degree and successful completion of accredited physician assistant program. Minimum of one year of healthcare experience prior to applying to PA program, plus one year of experience as a PA in a clinical setting (preferred).

Licenses, registrations, and certifications:

(NP) Nurse Practitioner: current State of Iowa Registered Nurse license. Current State of Iowa license as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner with prescriptive authority. Current DEA and BLS certification is required.

(PA) Physicians Assistants: National certification from the National Commission on Certification of PAs. State of Iowa PA license. Current DEA and BLS certification is required.

Job Relationships:

Responsible to: Physicians, Practice Administrator

Inter-relationships: Active Medical Staff, nursing staff, physicians, patients,

family, and vendors.

Working Conditions:

• Potential exposure to the risk of bloodborne pathogens Category I
• Subject to electrical and radiant energy hazards
• Exposed to hazards from electrical/mechanical/power equipment
• May be exposed to toxic chemicals
• Contact with patients under wide variety of circumstances
• Subject to varying and unpredictable situations
• Handles emergency or crisis situations
• Subject to many interruptions
• Subject to long or irregular hours
• Requires judgement/action which could result in serious consequences
• Possible exposure to toxic materials and environmental hazards
• Occasional exposure to video display terminal

Physical Demands:

• Frequent prolonged standing/walking
• Occasionally lifts, positions, pushes and/or transfers patients
• Occasional reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching
• Necessitates frequent verbal and written communication

Patient Populations Served:

• Pediatric
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Geriatric

Responsibilities / Tasks

Technical /Administrative / Clinical:

• Performing comprehensive and problem focused history and physical exams, interpret and correlate laboratory and diagnostic procedures. Interpret and correlate subjective and objective data to formulate a differential diagnosis and establish a working diagnosis. Formulate a treatment plan for orthopaedic problems within scope of practice. Implement therapeutic intervention for specific conditions when appropriate. Exercise judgment on problems requiring consultation, referral, or evaluation by the supervising Orthopedic surgeon or other health care professionals.
• Order, collect, and perform appropriate laboratory or diagnostic procedures, and studies including but not limited to blood and tissue specimens. Ordering or performing diagnostic studies such as but not limited to EMG, electrocardiogram, compartment pressure measurements, and x-ray examinations including special x-ray examinations CT, MRI, and bone scans etc.
• Performing procedures such as but not limited to, digital blocks, regional anesthesia, and minor outpatient surgical procedures such as but not limited to: tendon repair, wound closure, wound management, wound debridement, incision and drainage, needle biopsy, percutaneous pinning of fractures, k-wire removal and hardware removal.
• Perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including but not limited to joint and bursa aspirations, closed reduction of fractures and dislocations, injections of joints, tendons, trigger points and bursa, as well as brace, cast and splint applications.
• Assist in surgery to include but not limited to first assist, deep and superficial tissue closures, application of appliances and any other action delegated by the surgeon. Conduct hospital, rounds, write orders, and take call for the Orthopaedic surgeon. Evaluate and clarify clinical conditions, formulate and implement a treatment or therapeutic plan for hospitalized patients, dictate discharge summaries, histories and physicals.
• Order, prescribe, dispense, and administer Medication, orthosis, orthotics, braces and other orthopaedic devices as may be allowed by state legislation.
• Evaluate, screen and council patients on health maintenance and promote utilization of community resources. Design, conduct and/or participate in research studies, manage databases, and perform quality assurance.

Personal / Professional commitments

• Attends all mandatory in-services / meetings.
• Assumes responsibility for personal growth and development.
• Pursues opportunities for personal enrichment.
• Utilizes supplies and resources of the organization in a cost-effective manner.
• Maintains commitment to working scheduled hours.