Nurse Practitioner​/Physician Assistant: Duke Neurosurgery - Spine

As a part of Duke Health's outpatient clinic network, you will enjoy competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits plans, convenient work hours, and many opportunities for career advancement. Become a part of a team that values and invests in you.

• The nation's first Physician Assistant Program was created at Duke in 1965 and is consistently ranked No. 1 in the country.
• The Duke School of Nursing is consistently ranked as one of the top nursing schools and their MSN and DNP programs offer eight advanced practice registered nurse majors and specialty certifications, as well as post‑master’s certificates and certification alignment programs.
• Commitment to ongoing learning for APPs through annual CME funding and access to high‑quality Duke CME offerings including APP Grand Rounds and a professional advancement program. APPs are leaders in multiple arenas within Duke.
• Duke offers APPs opportunities to practice within team‑based integrative care in a tremendous variety of specialties. APPs are expected to work to the top of scope in order to contribute to Duke's missions which include clinical practice, education, and research.
• Practice locations can include Duke Health's three hospitals or over 140 primary care and specialty care clinics throughout North Carolina.

We are seeking an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) for our Department of Neurosurgery—Division of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Duke Regional Hospital and Duke‑affiliated Ambulatory Surgery Centers located in and near Durham, NC. The APP will provide direct patient care services in collaboration with the supervising physician to patients being evaluated for and recovering from spine surgery.

We expect this position to involve outpatient services as well as functioning as operative first‑assist. Primary hours will be Monday through Friday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM, flexible to meet patient needs. Hours are expected to average 40 per week. Operative days will start at 7:00 AM while clinic days will begin later. Flexibility is needed for operative days that may occasionally extend past 5:00 PM, as well as for patients with overnight stays at the Ambulatory Surgery Center requiring discharge the following morning.

There is no expectation of weekend or overnight hours.

• Perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to assist the physician in diagnosing medical and surgical problems and prescribing necessary treatment and services for quality patient care. Record normal and abnormal data for review by the physician.
• Take patient histories, conduct physical examinations, and record findings in the patient’s record; write progress notes; prepare patient workups and summaries noting pertinent positive and negative findings; obtain psychosocial history relevant to patient care, and assume responsibility for developing therapeutic relationships with patients.
• Respond to patient inquiries and concerns via telephone or MyChart accessible during work hours and consult with supervising physician as needed.
• Order and schedule laboratory studies and diagnostic procedures; explain necessity, preparation, nature and anticipated effects of scheduled diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to the patient. Arrange inpatient admission for patients if needed.
• Carry out therapeutic procedures such as wound suturing and dressing changes; monitor patient progress, report to supervising physician, and maintain record of each patient’s progress. Consult with supervising physician when progress does not meet anticipated and/or predetermined criteria.
• Monitor operating schedule and follow up on pending studies and medical clearance as needed.
• If interested, participate in basic science and clinical research projects conducted by supervising physician; prepare statistical reports and analyses setting forth progress, adverse trends and appropriate recommendations or conclusions. Review the work of lower‑rated employees; train new personnel. Participate in teaching students and residents in techniques and procedures unique to the clinical setting.

• Nurse Practitioners:
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