Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant - Palliative Care - Fredericksburg, VA

Start the day excited to make a difference…end the day knowing you did.  Come join our team.

Job Summary:

The Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant functions professionally under a practice agreement with the Medical Director. The Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant is an integral member of the Palliative team to include: performance of patient/family evaluations, complex symptom management, pain control, and psychosocial needs; provision of care within the scope of service for patients referred to Palliative service; and collaboration with attending physicians within the hospital to provide appropriate care.

This individual will conduct an assessment of physical, psychosocial, cognitive, and functional components; develop a treatment plan; order and interpret diagnostic components of the plan; and prescribe non-pharmacological and pharmacological agents. Duties and responsibilities are performed according to standards outlined in the competency-based evaluation tool.

The incumbent in this position will support the mission, vision, values and strategic initiatives of Mary Washington Healthcare and must demonstrate a commitment to quality service to patients, physicians, Associates and the public.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities: 

• In collaboration with Medical Director, medical staff, and Palliative Team, demonstrate ability to consult patients and family members about diagnosis, goal setting, and end of life; completes necessary documentation to meet regulatory requirements.
• Perform comprehensive health assessments for the purpose of evaluating, treating, and providing comfort care to individuals as appropriate.
• Formulate appropriate differential evaluation, develops treatment plan to include appropriate diagnostics; identifies non-pharmacological interventions, prescribes appropriate pharmacological agents, and provides education. The plan is based on mutually established priorities to maximize the health potential and wishes of the patient and family.
• Provide relevant patient and family education; makes appropriate referrals to other professional and community agencies.
• Assist Hospitalist with Palliative Team patient rounding and discharge planning.
• Perform face-to-face visits and completes documentation for recertification of Mary Washington patients in compliance with regulatory requirements; assists with recertification process.
• Effectively communicate with attending physicians regarding changes in plan of care and patient and family goals.
• Act as educational resource to community physicians regarding palliative care and end-of-life issues.
• Positively impact goals of the organization, including transition, mortality rate, hospital length of stay, patient satisfaction, and participation in screening programs and educational activities.
• Demonstrate the ability to use effective organizational/prioritization problem-solving and decision-making abilities in practice.
• Meet all the requirements of the practice agreement with the supervising physician under the regulations and requirements of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Registered Nurse licensed to practice in Virginia or eligible to attain licensure in Virginia.
• MSN required.
• Currently licensed as a Nurse Practitioner in Virginia; Adult or Family Board Certified Nurse Practitioner (ANCC, ACHPN, or AANP). Prefer candidate who is currently ACHPN certified, but will consider candidate who can complete this certification within 24 months of date of hire. Current approval for prescriptive authority in Virginia.

• Physician Assistant Virginia License required

• AHA BLS Provider CPR required
• Currently holds a valid DEA certificate.
• Recent adult medical-surgical experience (5 years experience preferably with at least 2 years experience in Palliative Care).
• Diplomatic, with excellent interpersonal skills and able to relate compassionately to patients and families experiencing end-of-life issues.
• Professional and approachable by patients, families, Associates and health care providers in the community.
• Able to work independently within palliative care clinical guidelines.
• Proficient leadership skills.
• Ability to work cooperatively/collaboratively as part of a team, developing productive working relationships with diverse groups of people.
• Valid Virginia driver’s license with acceptable driving record in accordance with MWHC Driver's Policy.
• Successful completion of pre-placement employment evaluation.

As an EOE/AA employer, the organization will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and veteran or disability status.