Advanced Practice Registered Nurses / Physician Assistants
Internal Number: 779925600
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Physician Assistant Basic Requirements Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~ Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: Physician Assistant-I (PA-I)(a) Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. This is the entry level for PAs.(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The following list of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) present the minimum skill set expected of an Entry Level PA. This practice may include but is not limited to: i. Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. ii. Ability to perform patient history and physical. iii. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient. iv. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. Physician Assistant-II (PA-II)(a) Experience and Education. The PA at this grade is at the intermediate grade level and has had progressively increasing responsibility and experiences as indicated in the KSAs listed below. Individuals will have demonstrated the ability to analyze and solve more complex medical problems than at the entry level grade and can utilize their training in the successful practice of patient care and participate in team problem solving. Individuals demonstrate the KSAs of PA-II intermediate level by: i. Two years of successful practice as a PA OR ii. Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency. OR iii. A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA-II: i. Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. ii. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. iii. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. iv. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. v. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III)(a) Experience and Education. PAs at the PA-III grade are at the full performance level and lead and organize patient care independently, practice within multidisciplinary teams, and coordinate all aspects of patient care across the health care system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgment in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and/or in areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities, may serve as mentors for transitioning PAs, and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate the KSAs for the full performance level by: i. Three years of successful practice as a PA OR ii. Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency and one year of professional practice as a PA. OR iii. A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA.(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this level are not required to meet each individual KSA listed below to qualify, but should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire those not met upon appointment for PA.-III: i. Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. ii. Skill to consistently demonstrate an elevated level of expertise and autonomy in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients through facility Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE). iii. Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. iv. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. v. Ability to implement and initiate clinical changes to established treatment protocols based upon new medical literature research findings to enhance patient delivery care for improved patient outcomes. vi. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-8 Physician Assistant Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is 3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 1 to 3. Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity (including depth perception), keen hearing (aide permitted), clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity in both hands. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking (2-4 hours), standing (2-6 hours), stooping, sitting, bending, pulling (1-2 hours), and pushing (1-2 hours). lifting (>15 pounds), carrying (>15 pounds). Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing. The incumbent may be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment. Must be able to work closely with others, as well as protracted or irregular hours of work. Must be compliance with the use of ergonomic exercises and employee safety requirements. Age, Development, and Cultural Needs of Patients Requirements ["The Physician Assistant will perform all work within Primary Care clinics located at the Hampton VA Medical Center. The following duties are required of the position; they include, but are not limited to: Responsible for comprehensive care to patients with acute or chronic medical conditions. Clinical expertise in dealing with patients with acute or chronic health illnesses or acute injuries. Utilizes critical thinking to synthesize and analyze collected data. Provides care that is patient and family centered, compassionate, appropriate and effective for the promotion of health and treatment of disease across the lifespan. Utilizes clinical assessments to develop patient centered plans of care which reflect therapeutic, educational, preventative and rehabilitative. Performs a comprehensive patient assessment including health history, physical examination, evaluations of deviations from the norm and age specific disease screening, immunizations and health counseling. Formulates differential diagnosis and initiates appropriate intervention based on physical findings. Determines the need for consultation and referral of patients to specialty services when medically indicated. Orders and evaluates results of screening and diagnostic tests pertinent to patient complaints and physical findings. Prescribes non-pharmacological therapies and treatments which include but not limited to prosthetics, colostomy supplies, dressings, diets, etc. Advises, teaches and counsels individuals, families, caregivers and groups identified health care needs and providers information for prevention of illness and injury. Receives and addresses telephone calls from patients, family and caregivers relating to clinical indications and patient condition. Provides and documents; assessments, treatments and patient/family education. Collaborates with other disciplines to ensure care coordination and continuum of care. Completes comprehensive and timely medical records documentation within the parameters of Hampton VAMC policy. Prescribes, renews, modifies and discontinues medication limited to scope of practice. Counsels patients, families and caregivers regarding advance directives and \"DNR\" process and procedures. Communicates and collaborates effectively with physicians, other health professionals. Works effectively with multidisciplinary team members. Communicates effectively with patients and families, incorporating gender, age, culture, race, religion, disabilities and sexual orientation. Serves as an advocate of the patient. Completes all mandatory Veterans Administration, Hampton VAMC and Continuing Medical Training (CME) training at or before the due date. Participates actively in peer reviews, staff meeting, committees and Medical Center professional activities. Places and follows and acts upon consults and recommendations in a prompt effective manner. Responsible for proactively managing patient panels to include participation in surrogate coverage as identified by the Chief of Primary Care as needed. Other assigned duties as assigned by the Chief of Primary Care. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. Work Schedule: M-F, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact Mayleka.HicksAmerson@va.gov or Monique.Head@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.