Advanced Practice Provider, Research - Medical Oncology - Full Time

Advanced Practice Provider

The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) delivers medical care to a wide variety of patients. The APP also examines and treats patients independently and in autonomous collaboration with other health care professionals. Ensures proper illness and injury care and disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. May prescribe medications and order diagnostic tests. Advises patients about continuing care. The APP will work within the oncology service line.

Core Job Functions

• Performs and documents complete physical examinations and comprehensive health histories.
• Functions independently to perform age-appropriate history and physical for patients.
• Orders and interprets diagnostic and therapeutic tests relative to patient's age-specific needs.
• Prescribes appropriate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment modalities.
• Implements interventions to support the patient to regain or maintain physiological stability.
• Assists with the provision of care in accordance with facility, state, and federal regulations.
• Monitors the effectiveness of interventions.
• Facilitates the patient's transition within and between health care settings, e.g. admitting, transferring, and discharging patients.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary team members by making appropriate referrals.
• Facilitates staff, patient and family decision making by providing educational tools.
• Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.

Department Specific Functions

Infusion/Comprehensive Treatment Unit (CTU) Provides Infusion/chemotherapy treatment unit (CTU) coverage at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC) main campus and/or at satellite locations. This includes on-call, weekends, and cross coverage.

• Provides and coordinates patient teaching and counseling Able to collaborate with physicians and other providers regarding the care of a patient receiving treatment in the CTU and in all settings, outpatient and inpatient.
• Assures appropriate medical documentation according to Medical Staff policies/bylaws.
• Responds to emergencies and/or rapid responses.
• Assures the patient is transferred to the appropriate physician/specialty/hospital for continuation of care or when a higher level of care is necessary.
• Collaborates with pharmacy, nursing staff, and other disciplines to optimize the quality of care and time of the patients treated at CTU.
• Refers to support services when needed.
• Precepts or mentors APP students, Fellows, nursing staff, and nursing students.
• Assists in the management of family dynamics, coping mechanisms during acute and chronic phases of patient care.
• Facilitates the coordination of outpatient care and services as needed.
• Promotes evidence-based practice.
• Obtains informed consent, as indicated.
• Participates in Unit Councils, QI/Research projects.
• Assists when needed, optimizing infusion center workflows by providing direct patient care that may include but is not limited to injections, assuming charge role, etc.)
• Conducts monthly educational in-services to staff based on relevant infusion center topics as necessary.
• Performs patient triage, develops a plan of care and determines the urgency/escalation to the patient's attending physician/provider.
• Provides symptom management for side effects related to their cancer or treatment.
• Performs designated procedures after demonstrated competency and credentialing, according to written standardized procedures where applicable
• Ensures compliance with legal, billing, regulatory, and clinical policies and procedures
• Communicates daily with triage nurse regarding patients who need to be added to OCC clinic for symptom management, evaluation, and treatment.

Clinical Role/Research

• Provides care to a select group of patients by determining and rendering advanced nursing and medical interventions.Assessment/Diagnosis: Assesses patients by interviewing/examining the patient, reviewing the patient's medical history, provider's/physician's/PI/Sub-PI diagnosis and orders, diagnostic test results (labs, x-ray, MRI, etc.) to determine medical diagnosis, plan of care and monitor patient's progress.
• Reviews the medical record including physician/consultation notes, lab(s) and diagnostic tests results. Formulates medical diagnoses based on above data.
• Screens for patients for clinical trials based on information collected above.
• Collaborates with referring physician or physician investigator (PI) through discussion and assessment of diagnoses and ascertain study patient eligibility for a clinical trial, including documentation of criteria specified in the protocol.
• Assesses patients for trial-related and non-trial related symptoms and ensures evidence-based symptom management while maintaining trial compliance.
• During Phase I/dose escalation studies, collaborates with the principal investigator to determine if dose limiting toxicity has been achieved based on adverse event assessment data and clinical judgement.
• The APP will also work with the clinic/triage nurse and physician investigator (PI) to assure timely call back to patient calls regarding any medical or study procedure concerns.
• Planning/Outcomes: Develops a plan of care from the assessment/diagnoses and physician/PI/Sub-PI collaboration.
• Identifies expected outcomes based on the assessment/diagnoses and physician/PI/sub-PI collaboration.
• Ensures initial and ongoing consent process is performed and documented in compliance with FDA, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), institutional sponsor, IRB, and other applicable regulations, guidance's, and policies.
• Participates in the education of clinical trial patients about their clinical trial and significant new information that is forthcoming during or after the conduct of the trial.
• Ensures ordering and scheduling of all procedures/exams that are required to enroll patients, for further assessment for adverse events, and for evaluation of disease response to study treatment according to protocol.
• Ensures adherence to protocol schedule of events, study drug, and other requirements.
• Ensures the successful completion of correlative components of the clinical trial (pharmacokinetics and quality of life studies).
• Orders, prescribes, and recommends interventions in plan of care that reflects expected outcomes.
• Implementation: Institutes necessary actions as outlines in the plan of care.
• Collaborates with research and primary care team members to ensure implementation of plan
• Implements physician/PI/Sub-PI orders per protocol.
• Works in collaboration with study team to assure good documentation clinical practices and assures there is a source related to the documentation being performed.
• Documents assessment, management, and evaluation in source documents for patients on clinical trials as appropriate to the protocol and role.
• Documents adverse events according to CTCAE criteria.
• Provides patient/family education regarding disease processes, treatment options, treatment outcomes, possible complications, medications, drug handling (oral treatments), discharge/follow-up planning and lifestyle modification.
• Integrates current knowledge of professional issues, trends in health care and technological advances into scope of practice.
• Communicates plan of care to team members.
• Assists in the management of family dynamics and coping mechanisms during acute and chronic phases of patient care.
• Evaluation: Evaluates the patient's progress in attaining expected outcomes by follow up with collaborating physician and staff
• Evaluates disease response results and physical assessment data in conjunction with the principal investigator or sub investigator to determine response per the protocol.
• Assures patient is transferred to appropriate physician/specialty once study completed.
• Consultation/Collaboration: Consults with collaborating physician(s) on implementation, evaluation and revision of treatment plan.
• Ensures ongoing formal and informal communication regarding clinical trials with team members.
• Promotes ongoing compliance with key ethical concepts by the research team, including informed consent, documentation, respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.
• Develops relationships with referring physicians, clinical staff, and ancillary departments to facilitate compliance with an accrual to clinical trials.
• Provides education related to clinical trials to staff, patients and their significant others.
• Advocates for clinical trial patients as well as for promotion and integrity of the clinical trial.
• Advocates for clinical trials by participating in community outreach efforts to provide general clinical trials education when opportunities arise.
• Coordinates care with interdisciplinary health care team in