ADVANCED PRACTICE PROVIDER

Advanced Practice Provider

The Advanced Practice Provider diagnoses and treats acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. In addition, this position focuses on health promotion and disease prevention; order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as laboratory work and x-rays; and prescribe medication.

Primary duties and responsibilities include:

• Performing routine medical examinations on inmates or detainees under established guidelines.
• Diagnosing and treating acute and chronic medical illnesses.
• Providing medical treatment and services, consistent with the provision of basic health care services, in conjunction with a physician.
• Formulating comprehensive treatment plans and prognosis based on the patient's health conditions.
• Prescribing medication dosages, routes, and frequencies based on patients' diagnosis permitted under State and DEA licensure.
• Ordering, performing, or interpreting the results of diagnostic tests such as complete blood counts (CBCs), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and radiographs (x-rays) with physician oversight as needed.
• Analyzing and interpreting a patient's history, symptoms, physical findings, and diagnostic information to develop appropriate clinical assessment and treatment plan.
• Developing treatment plans based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and clinical practice guidelines.
• Documenting all health care services provided and including comprehensive records of health care plans and prognosis in the patient's medical record.
• Counseling patients on prescribed drug regimens and possible side effects or interactions with other drugs or substances.
• Recommending interventions to modify behavior associated with health risks.
• Educating patients about self-management of acute or chronic illnesses, tailoring instructions to patients' individual circumstances.
• Providing patients with information needed to promote good health, reduce risk factors, and prevent disease or disability.
• Consulting with or referring patients to appropriate specialists when conditions exceed the scope of practice or expertise.
• Reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
• Recommending diagnostic or therapeutic interventions with attention to clinical indication, safety and patient acceptability and compliance, to treatment plan.
• Scheduling follow-up visits to monitor patients or evaluate health or illness care.
• Maintaining current knowledge of state legal regulations for nurse practitioner/physician assistant practice and licensure requirements.
• Performing primary care procedures such as suturing, splinting, administering immunizations, taking specimen cultures, and appropriate wound care and debridement as necessary.
• Maintaining departmental policies and procedures in areas such as safety and infection control.
• Being available for 24-hour coverage based on the need of the facility and as assigned, to advise nursing staff in the care of detainees/inmates/residents after hours.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Minimum requirements include:

• Graduate from an accredited school of nursing or physician assistant studies required.
• Current, unrestricted license to practice as a Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner, or as a Physician Assistant in the state the facility is located, as well as a current DEA license. Must maintain current copy of applicable licenses at the facility.
• Two (2) years of advanced practice experience preferred.
• Knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.
• Skill in performing uncomplicated surgical procedures.
• Ability to administer prescribed medications and perform complete physical appraisals of patients.
• Ability to identify and evaluate illnesses and initiate diagnostic laboratory tests and evaluate the results.
• Ability to manage the care of patients and work with patients having a variety of physical problems.
• Ability to compile and evaluate medical histories and other clinical and laboratory data.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively and establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to work with computers and the necessary software typically used by the department.