Job Description

At NorthBay Health, the Nurse Practitioner (NP), ICU is required to be acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) and functions as a member of the multidisciplinary medical management team. The ACNP diagnoses medical conditions, plans and implements interventions, including invasive procedures and evaluates patient responses under the direction of and in collaboration with a physician supervisor or designated attending physician. This NP works with physicians in order to establish a collegial and interdisciplinary patient care environment. The NP is an independent consultant on clinical care issues for patients, families, staff, physicians and other departments. The NP will also assist in the collection of data and statistics for reporting outcomes of the critical care program.

The Nurse Practitioner is accountable for functions which enhance the delivery of patient care in accordance with the standards of nursing practice through education, role modeling, standards development, quality improvement, program development and coordination and other duties assigned by the director. This NP is a member of the Advance Practice Nurses Group. This role focuses on the critical care/pulmonary patient population. The NP works in collaboration with directors, clinical managers and other CPM/NP positions. Duties include but are not limited to the following: bringing innovative ideas from and to the bedside, establishing clinical performance criteria and contributing to the analysis and appraisal of staff performance results through assessment of clinical abilities; pertinent advanced practice policy development; participating in quality improvement activities; and ensuring compliance with regulatory/accreditation standards. This position’s role is to promote the provision of effective, high-quality patient and family focused care to all patients.

Primary Job Duties

Clinical Practice:

• Supports organizational mission statement, values and goals and role models to staff and others.
• Evaluates the appropriateness of the plan of care for complex patients.
• Functions as a clinical resource to department and medical staff and provides interpretation of hospital policies and procedures when necessary.
• Provides, facilitates, and/or directs patient care within his/her scope of practice.
• Observes patient care within departments to ensure it is consistent with professional and regulatory standards, provides feedback to appropriate staff and reports on trends observed to the clinical management team.
• Assists in the interpretation, dissemination and utilization of nursing research findings into clinical practice.
• Demonstrates effective problem solving and conflict resolution skills through resolution of departmental and interdepartmental problems at the appropriate level.
• Promotes patient and family centered professional practice and is a role model for Relationship Based Care principles.
• Facilitates/participates in the activities of the pertinent medical staff committee(s) in conjunction with the clinical management team and medical director(s).
• Participates on special projects and interdisciplinary committees as assigned.
• Facilitates and manages special projects as requested.
• Develops and sustains an environment that supports excellence and innovation in practice through assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating programs and standards that support positive patient care outcomes.
• Maintains ongoing Quality Improvement activities for patient population served and related areas within Critical Care that are consistent with organizational Quality Management Plan.
• Continuously assesses and improves clinical performance.
• Identifies appropriate clinical research problems. Initiates, conducts and/or directs clinical investigations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Clinical Management:

• Performs activities that normally constitute the practice of nursing, provided they have the preparation, knowledge, and experience necessary to properly execute the practice.
• Formulates a diagnostic impression and treatment plan as appropriate for patient needs using protocols and standardized procedures developed in collaboration with the supervising physician.
• Member of the Rapid Response and Code Blue Teams, as patient care permits.
• In the Critical Care setting performs:
• Admission history and physical examination, orders appropriate diagnostic tests (laboratory, diagnostic imaging, cardiology) as needed and evaluates results.
• Performs focused consultations, at the direction of the Intensivist.
• Formulates a diagnostic impression and treatment plan as appropriate for patient needs.
• Furnishes medications and specific devices as approved.
• Reviews all patient lab results and follows-up on abnormal test results.
• Reports abnormal findings and/or suspected complications to the Intensivist.
• Requests specialty consultation as approved by the supervising physician.
• Provides, facilitates, and/or directs patient care within his/her scope of practice.
• Provides comprehensive instructions and education to both patients and family.
• Daily comprehensive chart review with assigned patients, manages diagnostic tests, and communicates deviations to the Intensivist as needed.
• Daily assessment and evaluation of each patient’s progress, with documentation of such in the electronic medical record.
• Daily orders for therapies and interventions, including, but not limited to, furnishing medications, diagnostic tests, respiratory care including ventilator management, nutrition, fluid and electrolyte support, and blood and blood products.
• Performs delegated medical tasks per Standardized Procedure Guidelines.
• Identifies high risk problems and transfers care to appropriate physician.
• Promotes patient safety at all times.
• Participates in family/team conferences to review status of each patient as needed.
• Uses the advanced practice nursing process to collect patient data, analyze data in determining diagnosis, identifying expected outcomes, developing a plan of care, implementing and evaluating the patient’s progress toward goals.
• Gathers, analyzes and synthesizes data to develop “best practices” and provide benchmarks/goals for patient care.
• Participates in the creation, review and revision of advanced practice nursing care standards and standards of practice.
• Provides leadership and coordination of participation of nursing staff in interdisciplinary activities including development and implementation of interdisciplinary patient care processes along the health care continuum.

Operational Management:

• Assures appropriate utilization of all available resources to provide quality, cost-effective patient care.
• Assures safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.
• Demonstrates effective problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Manages change in a creative and positive manner.
• Utilizes available information systems.
• Ensures consistent, positive customer relations throughout each department.
• Participates in selecting outside sources for needed services.
• Develops and maintains policies, standards and programs for the provision of care in a cost-effective and quality manner.
• Works collaboratively with the appropriate medical staff committees to ensure follow-up for activities and resolutions.

Human Resources Development:

• Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills by communicating, cooperating, coaching, counseling and mentoring.
• Facilitates professional growth and development of staff through identification of needs, provision of educational programs and evaluation of efforts.
• Coordinates programs with the use of internal and external resources that will facilitate and promote professional growth opportunities for the staff.
• Strategic Planning:
• Participates in strategic planning relative to areas of specialty.

Collaborative Relationships:

• Promotes collegial relationships based on mutual respect and support.
• Supports multi-disciplinary collaborative practice with other health care disciplines.
• Encourages and participates in joint planning and program development with other team members.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary committees within the organization and the community that focus on patient care issues.
• Promotes and supports standardization within the organization for like services, including policies, procedures, practices, equipment and supplies.

Education

• Graduate of an accredited nursing program with a Master of Science in Nursing degree or higher, major in Acute Care or Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program required.

Licensure/Credentials

• Current California RN license required.
• Current California licensure as a Nurse Practitioner required.
• Certification by the American Nurse Credentialing Center as an ACNP/AGACNP or other BRN-approved body required.
• Current BLS and ACLS certification required.
• Furnishing license and DEA license for Schedule II drugs and above required.

Experience

• Two (2) years of recent inpatient hospital clinical experience as an ACNP caring for critically ill patients.
• Thorough knowledge of pharmacological agents used in patient treatment.
• Internal-only NorthBay newly graduated Acute Care Nurse Practitioners welcome to apply.
• Procedure Experience Required
• Endotracheal intubation
• Central line placement
• Arterial line placement
• Chest tube removal
• Suturing
• Complex wound management (preferred)
• Incision and drainage of abscess (preferred)

Skills

• Demonstrates ability to evaluate patients' physical and emotional status.
• Demonstrates ability to provide patient care based on age-related needs.
• Demonstrates current knowledge and skill in providing appropriate care for patients in the following age groups: Adult and Geriatric.
• Demonstrates clear credentials check through the AHP process.
• Demonstrates ability to clearly set behavioral limits.
• Excellent communication skills with patients, professional staff, and support staff.

Standards of Performance

• Demonstrates performance by adhering to established policies and procedures and exhibiting the defined characteristics associated with attendance and punctuality.

Physical Effort

• Attendance is an essential function of the job.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Hours of Work

• Variable based on business need.