Overview
The nurse practitioner/physician assistant (APP) provides comprehensive direct patient care and scholarly practice, including obtaining comprehensive patient histories, performing complete physical examinations, ordering and performing diagnostic testing and screening, diagnosing illness, prescribing both pharmacological and other treatments for patients, and providing health maintenance and promotion interventions such as patient and family education and counseling. Also, the NP/PA assumes accountability for indirect care responsibilities, which support patient care, including staff and student education, clinical research, program development, and quality improvement.
Qualifications
Minimum Knowledge, Skills, Experience Required:
Education: Completion of Nurse Practitioner Masters of Science in Nursing from an accredited college or university, or graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program. Successful completion of a National Certification Exam for NP or current PA license, current registration through the Alabama board of Nursing and Board of Medical Examiners, and approval of the Huntsville Hospital credentialing board.
Experience: Minimum 3 years full-time ER or Critical Care RN and/or CRNP/PA experience recommended.
Additional Skills/Abilities: • Must have excellent communication skills with the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, requiring prioritizing and changing tasks frequently and quickly. • Must have knowledge of all equipment and materials required for procedures described in the Emergency Care Center Policy/Procedure Manual and Nursing Service Procedure Manual. • BLS for Healthcare Providers must be obtained in the orientation period. • ACLS must be obtained within the first 6 months of employment and maintained current. • TNCC must be obtained within the first 2 years of employment and maintained current. • PALS is highly recommended. • Department-specific competencies must be completed within the provisional period and maintained current.