Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Neurosurgery

• Performing comprehensive and problem focused histories and physical examinations, interpret, laboratory and diagnostic tests.
• Interpret and correlate subjective and objective data. Formulate a differential diagnosis and establish a working diagnosis.
• Develop a treatment plan for neurosurgical conditions within the scope of practice and in conjunction with supervising neurosurgeon.
• Implement therapeutic intervention for specific conditions requiring consultation, referral, or evaluation by the supervising neurosurgeon or other healthcare professionals.
• Provider first assistant in surgery under the direct supervision of the supervising neurosurgeon
• Provide consultation and follow-up to both inpatient and emergency room patients. Rounds on hospitalized patients. Performs admission history and physicals and well a discharge planning and follow up.
• Provide evaluation and ongoing management of neurosurgical outpatient care.
• Present patient to the supervising neurosurgeon when appropriate and assist to formulate a treatment plan, order appropriate radiographic studies and perform office procedures such as staple/suture removal, wound management, and adjust programmable shunts and pumps.
• Evaluate postoperative patients and routine follow-up visits.
• Support surgical decision-making process under collaboration with neurosurgeon
• Coordinate ancillary care including referral to pain management and therapy services.
• Be available to see those patients that require a same-day office visit.
• Return phone calls from patients, handle prescription refills, review radiographic and laboratory reports for abnormalities. Review x-rays, MRIs, CT scans of hospitalized and office patients with supervising neurosurgeon.
• Serve as a resource to office based nursing and clinical team.
• Provide patient education as necessary part of treatment plan.
• Performs other functions as required.
• Consistently provides service excellence to all patients, family members, visitors, volunteers and co-workers.
• Challenges current working practices, identifies process improvement opportunities and presents recommendations and solutions to management. Engages and commits to the organization’s culture of continuous improvement by actively participating, supporting, and promoting CCHC Pillars of Excellence.

Education/experience/training (NP)

• (MSN) - Master of Science in Nursing or higher
• ( CNP ) - Currently licensed as a Certified Nurse Practitioner in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• (DEA) – US Department of Justice DEA Registration (required if prescribing)
• (Preferred) – 1+ years’ experience in Neurosurgery
• (Preferred) – Surgical First Assist Certification

Education/experience/training (pa)

• (MPAS) - Masters from a program accredited by the ARC-PA
• ( PA ) - Currently licensed as a Physician’s Assistant in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• (DEA) – US Department of Justice DEA Registration (required if prescribing)
• (Preferred) – 1+ years’ experience in Neurosurgery
• (Preferred) – Surgical First Assist Certification