Nurse Practitioner

Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be a registered nurse who has specialized graduate education.

• Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
• Diagnose or treat acute health care problems, such as illnesses, infections, or injuries.
• Recommend diagnostic or therapeutic interventions with attention to safety, cost, invasiveness, simplicity, acceptability, adherence, and efficacy.
• Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.
• Educate patients about self-management of acute or chronic illnesses, tailoring instructions to patients' individual circumstances.
• Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.
• Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests, such as complete blood counts (CBCs), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and radiographs (x-rays).
• Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
• Recommend interventions to modify behavior associated with health risks.
• Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
• Detect and respond to adverse drug reactions, with special attention to vulnerable populations such as infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, or older adults.
• Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
• Counsel patients about drug regimens and possible side effects or interactions with other substances, such as food supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, or herbal remedies.
• Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
• Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
• Treat or refer patients for primary care conditions, such as headaches, hypertension, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, and dermatological conditions.
• Consult with, or refer patients to, appropriate specialists when conditions exceed the scope of practice or expertise.
• Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
• Schedule follow-up visits to monitor patients or evaluate health or illness care.
• Perform routine or annual physical examinations.
• Supervise or coordinate patient care or support staff activities.
• Maintain current knowledge of state legal regulations for nurse practitioner practice, including reimbursement of services.
• Provide patients or caregivers with assistance in locating health care resources.
• Maintain departmental policies and procedures in areas such as safety and infection control.
• Perform primary care procedures such as suturing, splinting, administering immunizations, taking cultures, and debriding wounds.
• Advocate for accessible health care that minimizes environmental health risks.
• Keep abreast of regulatory processes and payer systems, such as Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, and private sources.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form

Serves as back-up for Physician Assistant (PA) who directly supervises the Clinic Nurse (RN) and the LPN; since the PA is not on-site full time, this position serves as the supervisor for this staff on opposite days when the PA is out of the clinic.

• Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of subordinates.
• Plans and directs work, ensuring that work schedules are adhered to and assigning specific duties to subordinate staff.
• Assists PA with interviewing, hiring, onboarding and training relevant clinic staff positions.
• Assists PA with staff evaluations, job performance management (including coaching/counseling), and corrective action.
• Helps to ensure appropriate staff training and education programs are provided.
• Participate in clinic staff meetings, and leads meetings in the absence of the PA.
• Demonstrates effective management of a team toward achievement of goals, including…