Job DescriptionUniversity of Pittsburgh Physicians is hiring a Full-Time Physician Assistant or Acute Care Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner to help support the Neurosurgery department. \n \nHours: Monday-Friday 6:00am-4:00pm\nLocation: UPMC Presbyterian\nPosition Specifics: UPMC Presbyterian, nationally recognized for excellence in neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report, is seeking a dedicated and highly skilled Neurotrauma and Complex Spine Advanced Practice Provider (APP) to join our Neurosurgery team. This hybrid role offers the opportunity to provide comprehensive care to neurotrauma and complex spine patients across both inpatient and outpatient settings. The APP will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, trauma surgeons, residents, and other healthcare professionals to optimize patient care throughout the continuum—from acute hospitalization through follow-up and long-term management.\n\nInpatient Responsibilities (Hospital-Based)\n\nComprehensive Patient Management: Provide initial consultations, ongoing management, and discharge planning for patients with neurotrauma and complex spine conditions. This includes performing thorough neurological assessments, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, and adjusting treatment plans accordingly.\nPreoperative and Postoperative Care: Assist in the management of preoperative and postoperative care, including wound assessments, medication management, and coordination of therapies to ensure optimal recovery.\nEmergency Response: Respond promptly to acute neurosurgical concerns, collaborating with the trauma team to deliver timely interventions.\nMultidisciplinary Collaboration: Participate actively in multidisciplinary rounds, contributing to discussions aimed at optimizing patient outcomes and ensuring seamless transitions of care.\nProcedural Expertise: Perform bedside procedures as credentialed, such as lumbar punctures, wound closures, and drain removals, enhancing patient care efficiency.\nEducational Leadership: Serve as a resource for nursing staff, medical trainees, and other team members by providing education and guidance, fostering a culture of continuous learning.\n\nOutpatient Responsibilities (Clinic-Based)\n\nPatient Follow-Up: Conduct post-operative follow-ups, routine neurosurgical evaluations, and ongoing management of neurotrauma and complex spine patients, monitoring progress and addressing any complications.
\nChronic Condition Management: Assess and manage chronic neurological conditions, including devising pain management strategies and coordinating rehabilitation services tailored to individual patient needs.
\nPatient and Family Education: Educate patients and their families on diagnoses, treatment plans, surgical procedures, and recovery expectations, empowering them to participate actively in the care process.
\nCollaborative Care Planning: Work closely with physical medicine & rehabilitation, pain management, and primary care providers to develop comprehensive, patient-centered care plans that address all aspects of recovery and well-being.
\nPreoperative Optimization: Support preoperative patient optimization, including conducting surgical clearance evaluations and risk assessments to ensure patients are well-prepared for procedures.
\nDocumentation and Compliance: Maintain accurate and timely documentation in the electronic medical record (EMR), ensuring compliance with institutional policies and regulatory standards.\n\n\nSee what being an Advanced Practice Provider can do for UPMC and what UPMC can do for Advanced Practice Providers – it’s more than just a job!
What Can You Bring to UPMC?\n\nContribute to UPMC’s mission of Life Changing Medicine\nSet the standards for the level and quality of care for the care delivery team\nProvide patient care activities for a group of patients and their families through the application of independent judgment, communication, and collaboration with all team members.\nEstablish and maintain collaborative relationships with physicians, other health care providers, patients, and their families, to achieve desired patient outcomes throughout the continuum of care.\nDemonstrate a commitment to the community and to your health care profession\n\nWhat Can UPMC Do for You?\n\nA career path that provides you with the right experience to be successful in the position you want to obtain now and, in the future\nHealth and welfare benefits like medical, vision, dental, and life and disability, and an exceptional retirement program\nWork life balance to help manage other important aspects of your life such as: PTO, wellness programs, paid parental leave\nCompetitive pay for the work that you do – base pay, merit, and premium pay\nSign-on Bonus available if applicable\n\n\nStaff Level:\nThe Staff Advanced Practice Provider (APP) is a Physician Assistant or Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner and a member of the care delivery team. The APP is responsible to set the standards for the level and quality of care. The APP has responsibility, authority, and accountability for the provision of care through supervision by and collaboration with a physician. The APP manages and provides patient care activities for a group of patients and their families through the application of independent judgment, communication, and collaboration with all team members. The role of the APP encompasses the beginnings of leadership, partnership, collaboration, and supervision. The APP establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with physicians, other health care providers, patients, and their families, to achieve desired patient outcomes throughout the continuum of care. The APP begins to demonstrate a commitment to the community and to their healthcare profession.
The successful candidate will be placed according to years and months of experience for employment purposes.\n\nResponsibilities:\n\nApplies basic professional practice knowledge and skills appropriate for practice setting. Communicates effectively, both verbally and in documentation. Demonstrates critical thinking in all areas of professional practice. Learns to incorporate acceptable standards of professional practice as well as business unit and health system's goals to improve patient safety, quality, and satisfaction. Formulates a plan of care that considers individual patient needs. Demonstrates initiative and seeks formal and informal opportunities to improve clinical practice. Seeks guidance and asks questions to continuously improve professional practice. Builds relationships with patients, families, and colleagues. Identifies ethical situations within patient care or within the workplace and seeks assistance. Professionally accepts assignments that gradually increase patient load and complexity.\nActively engages in clinical development of all members of the healthcare team. Requests opportunities to learn advanced professional practice techniques from senior healthcare team members. Seeks, accepts, and utilizes performance feedback from peers, preceptors, and unit/department Leaders as a learning opportunity and to improve practice. Demonstrates enthusiasm for continuous learning and identifies and creates a plan for the continuation of learning and development. Identifies patient and family needs for education and provides basic education to support the episode of care. Seeks professional development and involvement through membership in a professional organization and/or reading professional literature on a regular basis.\nDemonstrates a basic knowledge of research, how it affects practice and who/what resources are available to assist with evidence-based practice by asking questions, demonstrating interest, participating in journal clubs. Clinical practice demonstrates knowledge of how quality and innovation impacts patient satisfaction, safety, and clinical quality outcomes. Identifies opportunities for improvement in the clinical area.\nDemonstrates the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with all members of the health care team. Begins to demonstrate awareness of cultural diversity, horizontal violence, and impairment in the health professions. Cares for patients and self by supporting safety in the workplace.\nDemonstrates accountability for professional development that improves the quality of professional practice and the quality of patient care. Makes recommendations for the improvement of clinical care and the health of the workplace and welcomes and participates in change initiatives. Leads by investing and building healthy relationships among colleagues and other disciplines. Shows the ability to set priorities. Begins to serve as an engaged member of a team supporting colleagues in service to patients and families and may participate in task forces or other initiatives.\n\nDemonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care and/or interact appropriately with the patients served as specified below\nDemonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span\nPossess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their age-specific needs\nProvide the care needs as described in the department policy and procedures\n\n\nSpecial Skills and Abilities Required\n\nAbility to establish and maintain positive, caring relationships with executives, managers, physicians, non-physician providers, ancillary and support staff, other departments, and patients/families\nAbility to work productively and effectively within a complex environment\nHandle multiple/changing priorities and specialized equipment\nCritical thinking, analytical and problem-solving abilities required as related to various aspects of patient care\nGood clinical judgment\nCritical thinking skills necessary to exercise and lead others in application of acceptable standards of practice\nMobility and visual manual dexterity\nPhysical stamina for frequent walking, standing, lifting, and positioning of patients\n\nThis position is dependent upon successful attainment and maintenance of hospital privileges, if applicable to the Business Unit practice.\n\nLicensure, Education, Certifications, and Clearances\nCertified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP): \n\nThe successful completion of an approved nurse practitioner program is required\nBSN, MSN is preferred\nProfessional nursing experience and/or nurse practitioner experience is preferred\nCurrent state RN license and CRNP certification are required\nNational certification, eligible for licensure by Pennsylvania board of nursing, eligible for certification as a CRNP by Pennsylvania state board of nursing\nCurrent CPR certification is required\nACNP Certification preferred\nAct 34 Clearance required\n\nPhysician Assistant (PA): \n\nA graduate of a physician assistant program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the physician assistant (ARC-PA) is required \nBS or MS candidate is preferred \nExperience as a physician assistant and/or experience in a clinical setting is preferred \nCurrent state PA license certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is required \nCurrent CPR certification is required \nAct 34 Clearance required \n\n\nUPMC has a Center for Engagement and Inclusion that is charged with executing leading-edge and next-generation diversity strategies to advance the organization’s diversity management capability and its national presence as a diversity leader. This includes having Employee Resource Groups, such as PRIDE Health or UPMC ENABLED (Empowering Abilities and Leveraging Differences) Network, which support the implementation of our diversity strategy.\nUPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran Read More Read Less
