Details
Posted: 20-Jul-22
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Salary: Open
Categories:
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses / Physician Assistants
Internal Number: 666230300
The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is looking to hire a full-time Physician Assistant Float to work in the Surgery Care Line. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Graduate of a training program which is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of PA (ARC-PA) or one of its predecessor organizations. Additionally, candidates must meet one of the following: Master's degree in any discipline; OR Bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a PA. Certification: Must have successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE). Licensure: PAs must possess an active, current, full, and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. PAs must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active and current licensure in that State. Physical Standards: As described below and per VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Part II, Appendix A. English Language Proficiency: PAs appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d). Note: A grandfathering provision exists for current VA employees in this job series as documented in VA Handbook 5005/134, Part II, Appendix G8. Applicants must submit documentation in the form of SF-50's to demonstrate their status prior to and since the current qualifications standards became effective on 09/27/20. Grade Determinations: Grade and Step determinations of the selected applicant will be determined by the appropriate Physician Assistant professional standards board and will be based on the selected individuals education and experience. Physician Assistant-I (PA-I) Experience and Education- None beyond the basic requirements. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. Ability to perform patient history and physical. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. Physician Assistant-II (PA-II) Experience and Education- Two (2) years of successful practice as a PA OR Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency and one year of professional practice as a PA OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA. . Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III) Experience and Education- Three (3) years of successful practice as a PA OR Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency OR A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. Skill to consistently demonstrate an elevated level of expertise and autonomy in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients through facility Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE). Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. Ability to implement and initiate clinical changes to established treatment protocols based upon new medical literature research findings to enhance patient delivery care for improved patient outcomes. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records. References: VA Handbook 5005/134, Part II, Appendix G8. This can be found in the local VA Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is PA-3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of PA-1 to PA-3. Physical Requirements: Physical demands include repetitive body movements including the following: frequent reaching, standing, walking, and lifting of equipment and/or patients to provide patient care. This position requires extension of the hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction including above or below shoulder level, during the provision of patient care, including retrieval of needed equipment, supplies and to make contact with the patient. This position requires the maintenance of an upright position to perform duties associated with patient care. This position is typically non-sedentary, and frequently involves being in the standing position. This position requires moving about accomplish tasks, such as assisting with patient ambulation and moving one patient area to the next. This position requires the raising of objects from a lower position to a higher position or the movement of objects horizontally position to position. Lifting may be done to move a patient from one location to the next, i.e.- from the exam table to the chair, and in the movement of equipment or supplies. Note: Must have Basic Life Support (BLS) certification prior to assuming clinical duties. The BLS requirement is satisfied by successfully completing an American Heart Association (AHA) BLS Healthcare Provider Course or Military Training Network (MTN). BLS courses are normally offered within 1-5 days of entry on duty. No online certifications will be accepted. ["General Description of Assigned Duties: The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System offers a wide range of services from minor same day surgery procedures to complex procedures involving specialized high-tech equipment. The PA covered surgical services include cardiothoracic and general surgery, hand surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, thoracic surgery and plastic surgery. The physician assistant will work closely with their respective team and assist in the management of surgical patients. They will be responsible for providing and coordinating comprehensive care for assigned patients including comprehensive assessments, ordering appropriate laboratory and x-ray studies, consulting and referring to physicians and other health care members as appropriate. Major Duties & Responsibilities: The Surgical Physician Assistant will practice medicine as a member of a team with their Collaborating Surgeon. Working as a member of the health care team they will promote and maintain health by providing the following medical services: Obtaining medical histories and performing physical examinations Providing and coordinating medical care for assigned patients in any care setting, including establishing diagnoses, formulating and implementing care plans, and providing follow-up care Evaluating outpatients to determine the need for further health care Ordering diagnostic studies and other special tests, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomography (CT) scans, etc. Carrying out health promotion, disease prevention, and patient education activities Ordering or obtaining laboratory specimens Ordering ancillary services, such as, pharmacy, social services, physical medicine and rehabilitation therapies, prosthetic services, etc. Ordering VA specialty service consults and initiating requests for non-VA medical care and consults in accordance with VHA and local facility policy and procedures Ordering patient care supplies Writing orders for or prescribing medications Admitting and discharging patients in consultation with, and on behalf of, the collaborating physician, obtaining admission history and performing physical examinations, conducting patient rounds, documenting progress notes and summaries in the patient record, and writing patient orders on assigned patients. The PA may be delegated the responsibility of documenting operative notes if present for the procedure, but the operative surgeon must review and co-sign the note. They may also be delegated the task of documenting the discharge summary, but the collaborating physician must write a discharge note, or co-sign the discharge summary written by the PA in accordance with The Joint Commission standards that are applicable Other patient record entries by PAs, including medical histories, physical examinations, progress notes, service consults, Compensation and Pension evaluations, and patient orders do not require physician co-signature unless specifically required by Federal law, VA policy, or the standards of applicable external accrediting bodies Obtaining and documenting informed consent for treatments and procedures for which the PA is responsible Providing education and counseling of patients and families in preventive care, medical conditions, and the use of prescribed treatments and drugs Report to the Utilization Meeting daily @ 8:45a as needed to report on the disposition of in-patients Injection Clinic Duties: Obtain imed consent Perform time-out Prepare minor surgical site and perform removal/closure/cautery as appropriate Patient education pre and post injection Schedule for follow up Document procedure in CPRS OR Coverage Duties: Perform preop H&Ps and document in CPRS Obtain imed consents in CPRS Ensure Code status note in CPRS Answer patient questions re: surgery Ensure x-rays accessed via Phillips iSite Assist with patient positioning and prep First assist on surgical procedure Independent wound closure/dressing Assist with patient transfer off surgical table (remove traction, etc..) and transport to PACU Input post-operative orders into CPRS Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm"]