Nurse Practitioner - General Surgery/ SICU
Location: Bethesda, MD
Company: Decypher
Job Description Apply Now
Join Decypher and make a direct impact on the health and readiness of America’s service members, veterans, and their families. Since 2008 Decypher has offered healthcare industry professionals careers where their expertise is valued, and their work makes a meaningful impact. Decypher partners with the Defense Health Agency to deliver professional services, technology, and management solutions. Our mission is to provide and support quality care for our veterans, servicemembers and their families, across the United States.
Job Summary: The nurse practitioner will provide comprehensive care for inpatient and outpatient surgical and trauma patients through detailed assessments, diagnostic interpretation, treatment planning, and minor procedures within scope of practice. Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to manage patient care, coordinate treatments, educate patients and staff, and ensure high-quality outcomes through continuous monitoring, documentation, and adherence to clinical standards.
Required Qualifications:
- Education: Must have a Master of Science (MSN) with completion of Nurse Practitioner Program (NPP).
- Certifications:
- Basic Life Support (BLS).
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Advanced Life Support (ALS).
- Certified in the specialty required by the TO as a Nurse Practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or the recognized national nursing certification organization for the specialty area of practice as appropriate (for example, National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses, American Nurses Association, National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Specialties).
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Licensure: Current, full, active, and unrestricted license as a Registered Nurse.
- Experience: Must have a minimum of two (2) years of experience in medical and surgical applications.
U.S. Citizenship is required
Key Responsibilities:
- Ability to perform reassessment and management for all patients and per policy.
- Performs a thorough history taking, clinical assessment, and physical examination of both inpatient and outpatient. Document on going assessment and formulate plans of care in collaboration with medical staff.
- Orders, analyzes and treats patients based on results of diagnostic tests.
- Monitors clinical laboratory and radiological studies for the team and manage results and related treatment plans in coordination with other providers on the team.
- Nurse Practitioner will have a vast knowledge of the anatomy and physiology and disorders of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary and dermal systems.
- Demonstrates thorough knowledge of current disease processes while conducting a comprehensive health history and physical examination or problem-focused assessment depending on patient's status.
- Perform minor procedure within your scope of practice in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.
- Knowledgeable of surgical procedures and postoperative course of patients undergoing bowel surgery and other general or trauma surgical procedures.
- Maintains proficiency with advanced treatment modalities to include wound debridement, dressing changes, and other invasive procedures independently upon the completion of certification and within the scope of practice.
- Demonstrates knowledge and skill to develop and implement policies and procedures to manage patients.
- Able to interpret data about the patient's status to identify each patient’s age specific needs and provide care needed by the patient group.
- Ability to develop and revise plan of care as indicated by the patient's response to treatment and evaluate overall plan for effectiveness.
- Assist with prescriptions for medication and supplements as appropriate.
- Participates in the evaluation and treatment of trauma and general surgical patients in the Emergency Department.
- Assists with the discharge planning process and patient discharges.
- Adequately assess and reassess pain. Utilizes appropriate pain management techniques.
- The Contractor shall educate the patient and family regarding pain management.
- Coordinates surgical procedures for team surgeons as indicated and conducts postoperative discharge follow-up phone calls within 14 days of discharge to assess wound healing, need to change medication regimen, dehydration, and diet tolerance. Relays pathology results and coordinates any subsequent follow-up care required.
- Comfortable caring for patients that are critically ill, who may require ventilator support, vasopressors, and invasive monitoring.
- Assists teams with obtaining procedural and surgical consents.
- Perform minor procedures within the scope of practice in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.
- Mentors the Registered Nurses on staff and within the facility; communicates appropriately and clearly to nurse managers, nursing staff, and physicians Perform minor procedures within the scope of practice in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.
- Provides continuous long-term post-operative care and ongoing education to all patients undergoing surgery.
- Provides pre and post-op assessments and patient/family education.
- Knowledgeable of medications and their correct administration based on age of the patient and clinical condition.
- The Nurse Practitioners shall be the resource person to physicians, nursing and other hospital staff.
- Serving as a liaison between physicians, patients and manufacturers of clinical products.
- Serve as mentor to the Registered Nurses on staff and within the facility; communicates
- appropriately and clearly to nurse managers, nursing staff and physicians.
- Consult other healthcare professionals/departments as appropriate to provide interdisciplinary approach to the patient's needs.
- Complete thorough timely documentation for visits and treatment plans for the management of patients through in-depth progress notes and dictation summaries to include writing admission, transfer and discharge orders and referring patients for consultation when indicated (i.e. dermatology, vascular, infectious disease, social services).
- Documentation meets current Nursing standards and practices.
- Develops and produces educational handouts/materials for the patients and other services within the facility including participation in clinical rounds and conferences. Runs patient and general public trauma education classes such as Stop the Bleed and Falls Prevention Programs.
- Collaborates in the development and implementation of clinical protocols, standard operating procedures, and clinical practice guidelines in line with the mission of the facility support.
- Participates in and assists in the execution of the Trauma and Surgical Performance Improvement
- Programs, which include morbidity and mortality conferences, primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary review.
- Functions as the Provider of the Day (POD) responsible for team pager management, coordination of inpatient treatment and evaluation, and new consult review.
- Assigns the daily clinical duties to the staff in the absence of the clinical supervisor.
- Attend interdisciplinary team meetings, seminars, conferences and continuing education classes.
- Monitor electrolyte levels and other blood chemistries and microbiology tests - order tests and labs as well adjust medications or therapies as needed.
- Collaborate with other members of the health care team to ensure comprehensive patient centered care.
- Serves as a liaison between physicians, patients and manufacturers of clinical products.
- Knowledgeable of the clinical products currently available on the medical market.
- The Nurse Practitioners may meet with sales representatives, evaluates products; makes recommendations for products/ equipment.
- Operates all equipment correctly and safely.
- Coordinates patient care as necessary.
- Demonstrates an ability to be flexible, organized and function under stressful situations.
- Ability to maintain the strictest confidentiality and adhere to the highest degree of professional standards and integrity.
- Display strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Work Environment & Schedule: Onsite, Monday-Friday 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, 40 hours a week
Decypher is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce (M/F/D/V)