Atrium Health Seeking Surgical First Assist and Acute Care Transplant Surgery APP (NP/PA)- Charlotte, NC

If it’s possible, you will find it at Atrium Health the leading community-focused academic healthcare system serving North Carolina and South Carolina. We invite Advanced Practice Providers to discover all that we can do when we bring healing hearts, inquisitive minds and progressive visionaries together in our  Transplant Surgery team at Atrium Health-Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

The Transplant Surgery  Advanced Practice Provider (APP)  will join a team of  world-renowned Abdominal Transplant Surgeons and highly experienced Advanced Practice Providers (APP) who are committed to delivering exceptional care to treat diseases of the liver, kidney, and pancreas with transplantation.  The Transplant Surgery  Advanced Practice Provider (APP)  will provide comprehensive clinical care to transplant patients and donors in the pre-, peri-, and post-transplant phases of care.   

Job Summary  
The APP will function primarily inpatient/outpatient setting caring for acute and chronically ill patients and will assist in transplant surgical procedures such as kidney, kidney/pancreas, and liver transplantation, donor organ procurements, and other general surgical procedures.  The patient population would include complex surgical diseases and disorders of the liver, pancreas, and kidney. Additional responsibilities include patient education on disease and transplantation process, pre- and post-operative care, and discharge instructions.  

The core of the Transplant APP function will primarily be surgical and acute care focused with weekend rotation coverage and call responsibilities on nights and weekends. The APP would preferably have the experience and background to independently initiate and follow through on the assessment and workup of surgery or transplant patients and will have at least basic surgical assist skills.   

Essential Functions 

• Provides 24-hour on-call service to schedule and technically assist transplant surgeon with organ recovery, transplant surgery, and general surgery cases. 
 
• Checks room prior to procedure to make sure set-up is complete. Ensures correct supplies, instruments, equipment for surgical procedures as requested by transplant surgeon. 
 
• Assists team in obtaining needed resources for procedures. Anticipates needs of transplant surgeon as needed or as requested. 
 
• Assists transplant surgeon in operating room as needed or as requested. 
 
• Maintains aseptic technique for self, tables and other team members. 
 
• Facilitates communication and planning to increase confidence and continuity of case flow. 
 
• Assists in promotion of harmonious relationship among operating room staff and transplant surgeons 

• Assures open and clear communications with patients, and the health care team members. 
 
• Reads documentation in patient’s medical charts to include doctors’ orders. 
 
• Listens actively to surgeon, patient, and team to ensure safe patient-centered care. 
 
• Maintains awareness of patient monitoring and responds appropriately to potential complications. 
 
• Describes the assessment and management of acute trauma. 
 
• Responds appropriately to emergency conditions. 
 
• Verifies all implants, supplies, and special procedure equipment is available and functional. 
 
• Monitors the actions immediately surrounding the sterile field ensuring that the integrity is maintained and/or corrected appropriately. 
 
• Evaluates potential causes of surgical site infections, communicating concerns and possible corrective actions to prevent and/or treat potential contamination. 
 
• Utilizes the OR equipment pertinent to the surgical procedure to include Hemostatic equipment and supplies, including monopolar, bipolar, harmonic scalpel, ultrasonic, medications, sponges. 
 
• Adheres to precautions such as the placement of grounding pad, assists scrub and circulator with accuracy of counts when necessary. 
 
• Maintains knowledge in usage of all laparoscopic and robotic equipment necessary for a procedure, such as: Camera, light cord, inserting/removing trocars, (performed under direct visualization of the Surgeon), graspers, scoops, sprayers, suction/irrigation systems, clamps, tenaculum’s, etc. 
 
• Maintains knowledge in usage of open procedure equipment necessary for procedures, including, tissue forceps, retractors, clamps, scissors sponges, suction, irrigation, use of hemostatic agents and any further applicable instrumentation as necessary. 
 
• Proficient in all pertinent abilities required during procedures and follows necessary and appropriate methods applicable to the procedure to include but not limited to: 

• Clamping, cauterizing, suturing, inserting, injecting, manipulating, retracting, cutting, closure of surgical sites, implant surgical devices or drains, suction the surgical site, place catheters and ligating tissue as necessary. 
 
• Involvement in hemostasis as necessary, to include but not limited to utilization of ties, vessel loops, clip appliers, digital pressure, packing, appropriate manipulation of sutures, etc. Participation in volume replacement or autotransfusion techniques as necessary and appropriate. Any further applicable instrumentation or actions deemed necessary by the surgeon. 

• Works independently, or codependently with the surgeon, to finalize the surgery, according to the surgeon preference to include but are not limited to: Initiating appropriate actions or instrumentation in collaboration with the surgeon. Utilizing appropriate suturing techniques, according to surgeon preference, with closure of body planes and utilizing proper manipulation of suture. Using running, or interrupted suture techniques Including absorbable and non-absorbable sutures, staples, adhesives, strips, etc. 
 
• Demonstrates ability to administer local anesthetic, according to surgeon preference. 
 
• Demonstrates ability to secure drainage systems 
 
• Demonstrates ability to apply dressings, splints, casts and immobilizers/ stabilizers, according to surgeon preference. 

• Evaluates the patient for any possible damage from positioning. This shall include a skin assessment. Any abnormal condition should be reported to the surgeon, and appropriate treatment be carried out according to surgeon instruction. 
 
• Coordinates the draping procedure effectively correcting any breaks in sterile technique. 
 
• Ensure skin prep is performed to Atrium Health P&P or Standards of Care (mandatory completion annually LMS -Hand Asepsis and Surgical Prep) 
 
• Assists with room turnover and set up. 
 
• Provides proof of annual competency validation for trocar insertion, suture/ wound closure, administration of local anesthetics and cast application. 
 
• Recommends additions, deletions and formulates, updates, and revises physician operating room preference sheet 
 
• Performs initial and periodic medical history, physical examinations.  
 
• Records findings of examinations, assessments and plan of care.  
 
• Assist with new consults and admissions.  
 
• Daily assessment on intensive care, progressive, and floor patients  
 
• Determine treatment plans for complex and high-risk transplant patients in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.  
 
• Writes appropriate prescriptions and administers medications. 
 
• Orders and interprets daily laboratory and radiology examinations.  
 
• Documents all patient encounters, records observations, interventions, and actions in a medically appropriate manner on the patient's medical record.  
 
• Attends, participates, and contributes to group/practice meetings and development of standard procedures for department.  
 
• Participates in evidence-based research and publishing initiatives to improve the care of transplant patients. 

Education, Experience and Certifications 

Must have or be eligible for a DEA license. Approved to practice as a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant in the state one works. Eligible for prescriptive authority application through the Board of Nursing or Medical Board in NC required. BLS for Healthcare Provider from AHA required with expiration date greater than 90 days from date of beginning practice. Demonstrates appropriate critical thinking, interpersonal skills, and the ability to prioritize and make proactive decisions. 

Nurse Practitioner: Master’s Degree or Doctorate of Nursing Practice required. License to practice as a Registered Nurse required. Certification in the area of practice from a nationally recognized certifying body required. Acute Care board certification required based upon population and acuity served. 

Physician Assistant: Graduate from an accredited Physician Assistant program required, Master’s Degree preferred. Certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants preferred. 

When you join Atrium Health, you will be welcomed into an inclusive culture that celebrates and respects the contributions a diverse team can make together. Practice where your voice is valued, your passion for advancing medicine is rewarded, and you get the resources and support you need to thrive personally and professionally. In our nationally-renowned integrated health system, you can work alongside the most advanced minds in medicine to improve medicine, elevate hope and advance healing for all.