Clinic Nurse II, Neurosurgery

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Organization:

SPMF-Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation - South

Position Overview:

The Registered Nurse II - Neurointerventional Pain Management Specialist is accountable for the assessment, coordination, delivery, and evaluation of specialized nursing care for patients undergoing neurointerventional procedures and chronic/acute pain management therapies. Delivers holistic, individualized care incorporating neurological and pain assessment frameworks, procedural support, and post-intervention monitoring. Develops and implements patient-centered plans of care that incorporate psychological, sociocultural, spiritual, economic, and lifestyle factors unique to patients with complex neurological and pain conditions. This role also serves as the primary nursing liaison for neurosurgery spine patients transitioning into pain management care, encompassing patient education, care coordination, inbox and referral management, clinic support, and appointment scheduling. Fosters collaborative relationships among patients, families, interventional pain physicians, neurosurgeons, spine specialists, anesthesiologists, and interdisciplinary team members through timely and effective communication. Adheres to hospital policies, industry standards, evidence-based practices, and applicable laws and regulations to promote optimal patient outcomes and experience.

Job Description:

These Principal Accountabilities, Requirements and Qualifications are not exhaustive, but are merely the most descriptive of the current job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, staff changes, workload, or technical development).

Job Accountabilities

Assessment and Planning of Patient Care

• Performs comprehensive neurointerventional and pain-focused patient assessments encompassing neurological status, pain etiology and severity, functional limitations, psychological response to chronic/acute pain, spiritual wellbeing, and relevant social determinants of health.
• Utilizes validated pain assessment tools (e.g., NRS, CPOT, DN4, PainDETECT) and neurological assessment scales (e.g., NIHSS, GCS) to establish baselines and detect changes in patient status pre-, intra-, and post-procedure.
• Collaborates with interventional pain physicians, neurologists, anesthesiologists, and the multidisciplinary team to interpret diagnostic findings, adjust treatment plans, and coordinate care for patients undergoing procedures such as spinal cord stimulation, epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, kyphoplasty, and other neurointerventional therapies.
• Communicates patients' procedural and pain management plans of care during shift transitions, handoffs, and interdepartmental transfers, ensuring continuity and patient safety.
• Partners with peers, management, and healthcare providers to streamline patient workflow through the procedural suite, recovery, and discharge.

Provision of Specialized Patient Care

• Provides competent, compassionate, and cost-effective nursing care for patients undergoing neurointerventional procedures, including pre-procedural preparation, intra-procedural monitoring, and post-procedural recovery.
• Assists with and monitors patients during interventional pain procedures such as spinal cord stimulator implantation/trials, intrathecal drug delivery system management, epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, sympathetic nerve blocks, and vertebral augmentation (kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty).
• Monitors neurological and hemodynamic status throughout procedures, recognizing and responding to complications including vasovagal responses, dural puncture, epidural hematoma, neurological deficits, allergic reactions to contrast media, and anesthetic complications.
• Administers and monitors moderate sedation/analgesia per physician orders and hospital policy; documents patient response and recovery to discharge readiness criteria.
• Manages IV access, contrast media administration, and radiation safety practices in compliance with departmental protocols and ALARA principles.
• Maintains a safe, therapeutic environment integrating comfort measures, patient dignity, and anxiety reduction strategies specific to invasive procedural settings.
• Educates patients and families regarding procedures, expected sensations, pain management expectations, post-procedural care, and follow-up using teach-back methodology to confirm understanding.
• Delegates tasks appropriately to team members based on legal scope of practice, licensure, and individual capability.
• Upholds the confidentiality of all patient protected health information (PHI) and protects PHI from accidental, intentional, or inappropriate disclosure.
• Remains current on advancements in neurointerventional techniques, pain management pharmacology, minimally invasive procedures, and evidence-based nursing practice.

Evaluation of Patient Care

• Monitors patient responses to procedures and therapies; assesses neurological and pain outcomes; intervenes appropriately when escalation is warranted.
• Reassesses, evaluates, and documents each patient's response to the plan of care; adjusts the plan in collaboration with the proceduralist and team as needed.
• Accurately documents pre-procedural assessment, intra-procedural events, post-procedural recovery, discharge criteria, and patient education in the electronic health record (EHR).
• Develops and implements discharge teaching and transition planning tailored to neurointerventional pain management patients, including home care instructions, activity limitations, and signs/symptoms requiring immediate medical attention.
• Reports safety or compliance concerns via appropriate channels; participates in quality improvement, root cause analyses, and safety event reviews.
• Serves as a clinical resource and mentor to newly hired staff; verifies and validates competency of new and student staff in performing specialized nursing tasks.

Neurosurgery Spine Partnership and Care Coordination

Serves as the primary nursing liaison between the Neurointerventional Pain Management department and partner specialty providers, including Neurosurgery Spine and other spine-focused practitioners.

Patient Education and Onboarding

• Serves as the primary nursing point of contact for neurosurgery spine patients transitioning into pain management care, ensuring a seamless, patient-centered handoff experience.
• Educates patients and families on the role of pain management in their overall spine care plan, available treatment modalities (e.g., epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal therapy), and realistic expectations for outcomes, using plain-language explanations, written materials, and teach-back techniques.
• Provides pre-visit orientation covering preparation instructions, what to bring, insurance/authorization requirements, and how to navigate the care team.
• Delivers condition-specific education on medication management, activity modifications, ergonomic strategies, and recognizing signs of neurological change requiring urgent reporting.

Inbox and Communication Management

• Manages the departmental clinical inbox for neurosurgery spine referrals and care coordination messages, triaging communications from providers, patients, and external facilities in a timely manner.
• Responds to patient messages, prescription refill requests, pre-authorization inquiries, and clinical questions within established timeframes, escalating to the provider as appropriate.
• Processes and tracks incoming referrals, ensuring complete documentation is received, reviewed, and assigned for follow-up; coordinates with neurosurgery offices to obtain operative reports, imaging, and prior treatment records as needed.
• Maintains professional communication with referring providers regarding patient status, scheduling, and post-visit follow-up; tracks outstanding prior authorizations, referral approvals, and insurance verifications.

Clinic Support and Workflow Coordination

• Assists with clinic operations during pain management and spine specialty sessions, including patient rooming, vital signs, medication reconciliation, pre-visit chart review, and documentation support.
• Supports visiting or partnering spine providers during joint clinic sessions, facilitating smooth patient flow and ensuring complete medical records, imaging, and surgical history are available at the time of visit.
• Assists providers during new patient consultations by gathering detailed spine-focused histories, summarizing prior treatment timelines, and documenting relevant surgical and conservative care records.
• Participates in multidisciplinary spine care conferences, providing nursing input on patient progress, barriers to care, and coordination needs.
• Monitors clinic schedules; proactively identifies scheduling gaps, bottlenecks, or urgent cases requiring expedited appointments.

Scheduling and Appointment Management

• Schedules new and follow-up appointments for neurosurgery spine patients, ensuring appropriate visit type, provider matching, and urgency level are considered; coordinates multi-provider visits to minimize delays and consolidate care when appropriate.
• Initiates and tracks scheduling for recommended pain management procedures, including obtaining pre-procedure authorizations and patient confirmations.
• Manages appointment reminders, rescheduling requests, and no-show follow-up, maintaining continuity of care.
• Coordinates with external facilities and providers to schedule ancillary services (e.g., MRI, CT myelogram, EMG/NCS, physical therapy); communicates results and next steps to the patient and care team.
• Maintains accurate scheduling records and documents all patient interactions in the EHR.

Education

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing, or RN licensure evidencing completion of an RN program.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred.

Certification & Licensure

Required

• RN - Registered Nurse license for the state where care is provided.
• BLS - Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider.
• ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
• NIHSS - National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale certification.

Preferred / Highly Desirable

• CCRN or CNRN - Critical Care or Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse.
• CAPA or CPAN - Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia or Post Anesthesia Nurse.
• Pain Management Nursing Certification (RN-BC) issued by ANCC.
• Moderate Sedation/Analgesia competency certification per institutional policy.
• Fluoroscopy/Radiation Safety training or certification per state and departmental requirements.
• Contrast Media Administration certification/competency per departmental protocol.

Typical Experience

• Minimum 2 years of recent relevant RN experience required.
• At least 6 months of experience in a procedural, PACU, ICU, ED, or neuroscience/neurology setting within the last 2 years strongly preferred.
• Experience with neurointerventional or interventional pain management procedures is highly desirable.

Skills and Knowledge

• Demonstrated knowledge and competence in nursing theories, concepts, and practices, including medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology, with clinical competence in neurological and pain assessment using standardized scales (NRS, NIHSS, GCS, CPOT).
• Working knowledge of neurointerventional procedures including spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal pain pump management, epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, and vertebral augmentation.
• Understanding of moderate sedation/analgesia principles, monitoring requirements, reversal agents, contrast media administration, and ALARA radiation safety principles.
• Knowledge of healthcare regulations, safety precaution policies, HIPAA, and PHI protection standards, including awareness of changes in local/state/federal regulations; ensures protection of each patient's protected health information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for explaining complex or sensitive information clearly and professionally to diverse audiences, including patients, families, and non-clinical staff.
• Strong time management, critical thinking, and organizational skills; ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks across pre-, intra-, and post-procedure phases in a fast-paced environment with interruptions; works independently and as part of a team.
• Proficient in EHR documentation, inbox management, and scheduling systems; working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word and Outlook).
• Identifies, evaluates, and resolves standard problems by selecting appropriate solutions from established options; works within standardized policies, procedures, and scientific methods to achieve objectives and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a liaison between specialty departments, facilitating seamless patient transitions and interdisciplinary communication; builds collaborative relationships with peers and healthcare providers to achieve departmental and organizational objectives.
• Patient education expertise using health literacy best practices and teach-back methodology.
• Ability to manage direct patient care responsibilities alongside clinic support, scheduling, and administrative coordination functions.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

See required physical demands, mental components, visual activities & working conditions at the following link: Job Requirements

Job Shift:

Days

Schedule:

Full Time

Shift Hours:

8/10 Blended

Days of the Week:

Monday - Friday

Weekend Requirements:

None

Benefits:

Yes

Unions:

No

Position Status:

Non-Exempt

Weekly Hours:

40

Employee Status:

Regular

Sutter Health is an equal opportunity employer EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans.

Pay Range is $82.55 to $108.96 / hour

The compensation range may vary based on the geographic location where the position is filled. Total compensation considers multiple factors, including, but not limited to a candidate's experience, education, skills, licensure, certifications, departmental equity, training, and organizational needs. Base pay is only one component of Sutter Health's comprehensive total rewards program. Eligible positions also include a comprehensive benefits package.