Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

Summary

The Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) III Certified Nurse Practitioner (NP) practices in Hospice and Palliative Care (HPC) to provide a full range of services emphasizing quality - timeliness - and the advancement of the Veterans Affairs (VA) mission. The NP provides advanced clinical practice - consultation - and management.

Duties

• The ANP is a licensed independent practitioner with advanced education and national certification who provides evidence-based care for a population of patients
• Major duties and responsibilities of the position: Independently manages a panel of patients with acute and chronic health conditions with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention using evidence-based practice
• Develops and implements an individualized plan to achieve optimal population health and disease management
• Demonstrates leadership and works collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team
• Orders and interprets labs - tests - and diagnostic studies
• Prescribes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions
• Initiates referrals and consults to specialty services
• Provides education to patients and their families
• Provides coverage for all provides within Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC)
• Participates in rotational On-Call for Community Living Center (CLC)
• Exemplifies the ICARE core values of-Integrity - Commitment - Advocacy - Respect - and Excellence
• The Nurse Practitioner is a nonsupervisory position and the incumbent will report directly to the CLC Medical Director
• The incumbent is responsible for self-directed performance of the below approved clinical privileges: Assess - diagnose - treat - and manage - monitor - promote health and protect from disease and manage illness and injuries of patients in the outpatient setting
• Assess - stabilize - and determine disposition of patients with emergent conditions consistent with medical staff policy regarding emergency and consultative call services
• Core privileges also include but are not limited to admitting patients the hospital - performing and document history and physical examinations - develop and order plans of care - provide counseling and education to patients - families - and caregivers as appropriate - provide consultation to staff nurses - medical staff and interdisciplinary colleagues - assist staff in the development of innovative - cost effective programs or protocols of care - prescribe legend drugs according to VA regulation and controlled substances within the guidelines of the Federal Controlled Substances Act - prescribe devices - supplies and durable medical equipment - order and interpret diagnostic testing and therapeutic modalities (including but not limited to laboratory tests - EKG - radiological studies hemodynamic monitoring - treatments - IV fluids and electrolytes - oxygen - etc.) - order VA specialty consults and initiating requests for non-VA care
• Order ancillary services (including but not limited to pharmacy - physical - occupational and speech therapy - nutrition - prosthetics - etc.) - write admission orders - obtain - and document informed consent - implement palliative and end-of-life care (including but not limited to writing life sustaining progress notes and orders - etc.) - Wound care to include debridement and simple wound closure - I&D - suture - and suture removal
• Arthrocentesis - Injection into a joint - skin biopsy - cryotherapy of skin lesions - external G-tube extraction/replacement - nasogastric tube extraction - suturing lacerations - I&D of superficial abscesses - PICC Line extraction - Foley Catheter extraction/placement - suprapubic catheter extraction/replacement - extraction of sutures/staples - coude catheter extraction/placement - nail debridement and trimming - Ear Lavage and Cerumen Extraction - D/C JP drain - and placement of life vest
• In addition to Core Extended Care and Rehabilitation Nurse Practitioner Privileges - incumbent will function as an Medical Coverage Provider (MCP)
• Incumbent must be BLS-certified to serve as an MCP and will lead and/or participate in codes
• 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: Monday through Friday - 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
• Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.