Advanced Healthcare Practitioner (NP/PA) - Oncology - Full Time

Job:  Advanced Health Practitioner - Oncology

Job Category: 2 Professionals 

Position Summary 

The Advanced Health Practitioner who works under the supervision of a physician to provide direct patient care, patient and family education, psychological support, and survivorship planning from the time of diagnosis throughout the continuum of cancer care. The Advanced Health Practitioner scope of practice includes performing comprehensive assessments and physical examinations, ordering and interpreting diagnostic laboratory tests, performing invasive procedures, prescribing medications and treatments, ordering chemotherapy and biotherapy regimens, conducting health screenings, and providing patient and family education. The Advanced Health Practitioner serves as an educator, consultant, and liaison to healthcare providers caring for the patients across the continuum of care, which can include inpatient and outpatient services. The Advanced Health Practitioner performs administrative duties, including quality improvement activities, teaching, and hospital committee membership. Advanced Health Practitioner provides care and management of patients in collaboration with supervising physicians and through implementation of standardized procedures.

Essential Functions 

• Manages the clinical course of patients with cancer with acute or chronic complaints and end-of-life and other health concerns.
• Communicates and interacts effectively with patients, families, and staff, considering cultural differences.
• Formulates an evidence-based treatment plan according to the interpretation and evaluation of all patient data.
• Manages cancer survivors by performing a cancer-related review of systems to detect late and long-term effects of cancer treatment.
• Performs comprehensive history and physical examinations on patients with cancer to assess normal and abnormal findings and identifies differential diagnoses on established and new patients.
• Recognizes and initiates lifesaving procedures for oncologic emergencies and brings emergencies to the immediate attention of a physician.
• Initiates arrangements for hospital admissions.
• Performs core clinical practice competencies specific to the patient population.
• Collaborates with other healthcare team members involved in patient treatment to ensure continuity of care.
• Facilitates the coordination of advanced practice professional inpatient and outpatient care and services.
• Fosters an environment of respect for patient privacy.
• Obtains informed consent as indicated.
• Orders and interprets diagnostic tests, orders blood products, collects specimens for routine laboratory tests, and performs screening and therapeutic procedures.
• Orders consults for services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, I-imaging studies, and nursing services.
• Prescribes medications and administers orders as indicated by patients’ clinical status.
• Presents cases to the tumor board.
• Promotes, directs, evaluates, and manages safe patient care for patients being treated in the chemotherapy unit.
• Provides and coordinates patient teaching and counseling.
• Provides clinical support to treat patients for symptoms related to their disease and to assist the flow of patients who have oncologic or hematologic diagnoses.
• Provides patient consultation via telephone or telehealth.
• Participates in rounds with the interprofessional oncology team.
• Serves as a cancer pain management resource to the medical center in outpatient and inpatient settings.
• Uses and promotes approved standards of care, procedures, methods and techniques, safety precautions, and protocols in their application to the oncology patient population in all settings.
• Writes orders and consultations to radiation oncology, writes orders for vascular access device placement for chemotherapy, and arranges for procedures and biopsies with the surgery and interventional radiology departments.
• Writes orders for administration of blood products and chemotherapy agents under the direction and supervision of attending physicians.
• Promotes and participates in the delivery of patient and family education on the cancer diagnosis, treatment, expected outcomes, and end-of-life issues, such as do-not-resuscitate orders, healthcare proxies, and advance directives.
• Assists with completion of patients’ disability and insurance forms as needed.
• Mentors other staff and advanced practice colleagues as appropriate.
• Participates in clinical research studies as determined by the needs of the program.
• Participates in staff development and in-service education as requested.
• Reviews patient eligibility for clinical trials.
• Submits billing documentation within the employment model and state and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulations.
• Delegates duties according to authority appropriate for Texas Nursing Practice.  
  
  
  

 -Adheres to and follows all patient experience initiatives. 

• Reports to and departs from work on time and as scheduled. 
• Performs other duties as assigned. 
• Must be able to deal with stress while maintaining composure.  
• Follows and adheres to TRMC vaccine policy(s) mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
  
  
  

Skills

• Proficiency in clinical management of complex patients.
• Current knowledge of the latest trends, skills, procedures, and protocols in hematology-oncology and internal medicine practice.
• Ability to communicate with members of the interprofessional team with written and verbal proficiency.
• Knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients within specific age groups, human development stages, and cultural groups.
• Ability to discuss sensitive topics, such as sexuality and end-of-life concerns.
• Knowledge of clinical guidelines for survivorship care and treatment.
• Awareness of quality benchmarks for oncology care.
• Experience with conflict resolution.
• Integrity and trustworthiness in resolving problems.
• Skill in coordinating oncology patient care with other interprofessional staff.
• Skill in interpersonal relationships, program development, critical thinking, and problem solving.
• Strong ability to use data, computer systems, and electronic health records in support of care delivery.
• Proficiency in billing rules and regulations.
  
  
  

Work Experience 

• Five years’ experience in a hospital or clinic setting is desirable.
• Two years of related experience as an RN in an oncology setting preferred.
• At least two years of successful practice as a nurse practitioner, preferably with experience in hematology-oncology preferred.
  
  
  

Education 

Oncology nurse practitioner:

• Master’s or doctoral degree from a program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, an accrediting arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing required.
• National board certification as a nurse practitioner from an agency accredited by the American Board of Nursing Specialties required.
• Board certification as an oncology nurse practitioner (advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner) administered by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation required.
• State nurse practitioner licensure required.
• Basic life support (BLS) certification required upon hire.
• Additional board certifications as required by certain specialties or departments.
  
  
  

Physician assistant:

• State physician assistant licensure required.
• Educational requirements for oncology physician assistants can occur by one of three routes: graduation from a program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA); completion of an oncology residency for physician assistants (optional after attending physician assistant school); or on-the-job training (after graduating from an ARC-PA–accredited program).
  
  
  

Physical Demands and Work Environment 

Lifting/Carrying    Pushing/Pulling              

 Lbs.      % Time     Lbs.      % Time 

 1-10     34-66      1-10      34-66 

11-20     0-33     11-20      0-33 

21-50     0-33     21-50      0-33 

51-75     0-33     51-75      0-33 

76-100    0-33     76-100    0-33 

Movement            % Time 

Bend/Stoop/Twist          0-33 

Crouch/Squat                0-33 

Kneel/Crawl                 0-33 

Reach Above Shoulder  0-33    

Reach Below Shoulder  0-33 

Repetitive Arm             None 

Repetitive Hand           0-33 

Grasping                     0-33 

Squeezing                   0-33 

Climb Stairs                 None 

Walking Uneven           0-33 

Walking Even               34-66 

 

Environment        % Time 

Indoors              67-100 

Outdoors            0-33 

Extreme Heat      None 

Dusty                 None    

Excessive Noise   0-33 

  

Equipment       % Time 

Motor Vehicles    None 

Foot Pedals         None 

Extreme Heat      None 

Dusty                 None    

Excessive Noise   0-33 

Work near         % Time 

Machinery          None 

Electricity          None 

Sharps                0-33 

Chemicals          0-33 

Fumes               0-33 

Heights             None 

Vision         

Depth Perception     Required 

< 20"                    Required 

Color                     Required 

Peripheral              Required 

Endurance       Hours at Once      Total in 12HR 

Sit                                 1                        3 

Stand                             4                       4.5 

Walk                              4                       4.5