Nurse Practitioner- CKD, ESRD, and Hospital Care

Job Description

Job Description

Nurse Practitioner- CKD, ESRD, and Hospital Care  

Position Summary  
The Nurse Practitioner is responsible for providing comprehensive patient care in collaboration with physicians and other members of the healthcare team. This position supports patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease across multiple care settings, including CKD clinic visits, CKD/ESRD hospital visits, dialysis rounding, and on-call coverage. The Nurse Practitioner will assess, diagnose, treat, and manage acute, episodic, chronic, and complex patient conditions within the scope of licensure, clinical training, and applicable practice standards. 
This role requires strong clinical judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to evaluate patient histories, symptoms, physical findings, diagnostic results, and treatment needs to develop and support appropriate care plans. The position also requires the ability to educate patients, promote health, reduce risk factors, and assist with disease prevention and long-term management. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 
The essential functions of this position include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Provide direct patient care for individuals with chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, and related acute, chronic, or complex medical conditions in outpatient clinic, hospital, and dialysis settings. 
• Conduct patient assessments, including review of medical histories, symptoms, physical findings, diagnostic information, test results, and other clinical records to help determine appropriate diagnoses and treatment needs.
• Develop, implement, and update treatment plans based on clinical findings, standards of care, scientific rationale, and professional practice guidelines.
• Diagnose, treat, and manage acute, episodic, chronic, comorbid, unstable, or complex patient conditions in collaboration with physicians and other healthcare providers, as appropriate. 
• Manage and support long-term care plans for adult patients with chronic and complex health conditions, including kidney disease and related internal medicine conditions.
• Order, perform, and/or interpret diagnostic tests, including laboratory work and other clinically appropriate diagnostic studies, consistent with licensure and scope of practice. 
• Prescribe or administer medications, therapies, and other treatment interventions in accordance with applicable law, clinical protocols, and scope of practice 
• Conduct CKD clinic visits, including evaluation, monitoring, patient education, care coordination, and follow-up planning.
• Conduct CKD/ESRD hospital visits, including patient assessment, review of hospital course, coordination with hospital providers, and documentation of care recommendations.
• Perform dialysis rounding, including assessment of patient status, review of treatment response, identification of changes in condition, and communication with the care team.
• Participate in on-call coverage to support urgent patient care needs, clinical questions, and coordination of care outside regular clinic hours. 
• Provide patients and, as appropriate, their families or caregivers with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, prevent complications, and support disease management.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and detailed records of patient assessments, treatment plans, clinical decisions, patient progress, and care coordination activities. 
• Collaborate with physicians, nursing staff, dialysis center personnel, hospital teams, and other healthcare professionals to support continuity of care. 
• Apply critical thinking, clinical judgment, and complex problem-solving skills when evaluating patient needs and determining appropriate next steps. 
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable medical practices, treatment standards, documentation expectations, and healthcare protocols. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of medicine, disease processes, treatment alternatives, medication use, drug interactions, and preventive healthcare practices
• Ability to assess and manage patients with acute, chronic, complex, and comorbid medical conditions.
• Strong critical thinking, judgment, decision-making, and complex problem-solving skills.
• Ability to analyze patient histories, symptoms, physical findings, diagnostic information, records, reports, and test results to support clinical decision-making.
• Strong active listening and communication skills, including the ability to explain clinical information clearly to patients and collaborate effectively with healthcare team members.
• Ability to maintain accurate and thorough patient documentation in electronic health records and other systems. 
• Ability to work with frequent patient contact and potential exposure to illness or infection in clinical care environments.
• Ability to work independently while also collaborating with physicians and other healthcare providers.
• Strong attention to detail, integrity, dependability, concern for others, adaptability, and ability to remain calm in high-stress situations. 

Education, Licensure, and Experience

• Master's degree from an accredited Nurse Practitioner program required.
• Current Nurse Practitioner license and Registered Nurse license required, as applicable by state. 
• National board certification as a Nurse Practitioner required or preferred, based on employer requirements. 
• Prescriptive authority required, as applicable by state and position requirements. 
• Experience in nephrology, internal medicine, hospital medicine, dialysis, chronic disease management, or a related clinical setting preferred. 
• Experience managing or supporting care for patients with CKD, ESRD, hypertension, diabetes, and related chronic conditions preferred.

Work Environment 

This position may work in a combination of outpatient clinic, hospital, dialysis, and on-call settings. The role requires direct patient interaction, collaboration with healthcare teams, use of electronic medical records and communication systems, and potential exposure to illness or infection. 

Physical and Other Requirements  

• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, providers, and care team members.
• Ability to read, review, and document clinical information accurately. 
• Ability to use electronic health record systems, email, internet-based resources, and other clinical or administrative technology. 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced healthcare environment and respond appropriately to urgent patient care needs.
• Ability to participate in on-call rotation, as assigned.
• Ability to travel between clinic, hospital, and dialysis locations, if required