Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner

Completes thorough but appropriately focused evaluations of pediatric patients (from neonates to adolescents and young adults), including competent and age appropriate histories and examinations. Identifies level of illness severity in a timely manner. Presents thoughtful assessments to the supervising physician and works towards prescribing necessary care plans. Performs appropriate procedures under their responsibility with the appropriate guidance. Knows when and how to seek assistance.

Medical knowledge

• Clinical knowledge. With guidance, applies basic medical knowledge to common diagnoses in department. Expands clinical knowledge by asking insightful questions, seeking knowledge independently and reading medical literature critically. Incorporates issues of child health advocacy, preventive health care, ethical dilemmas, and cost of tests and therapies.
• Diagnostic evaluation. Provides basic evaluation (e.g., diagnostic testing and consultation) for common diagnoses. Increasingly recommends broad evaluation based on an unfocused differential diagnosis. Reports results of diagnostic studies, identifying clinically significant results with guidance.

Patient history. Gathers patient information following a template. Adapts the template with guidance and as appropriate to filter and prioritize pertinent positives and negatives based on broad diagnostic categories or possible diagnoses.

Patient care

• Clinical reasoning. Presents clinical facts (e.g., history, exam, tests, consultations, etc.) to preceptor, supervising physician, and care team. Ultimately generates an unfocused differential diagnosis based on the clinical facts.
• Organize and prioritize patient care. Completes assigned patient care responsibilities focused on individual patients.
• Patient management. Increasingly participates in the creation of patient management plans. Discusses plans with patients/families.

Procedures as defined by clinical department. Increasingly exposed to the array of core procedures and guided in the performance of these. Please reference the "APP Procedures Listing" for those relevant to the Medical Specialty.

Interpersonal and communication

• Patient and family centered communications. Works to establish rapport with patients/families. Develops therapeutic relationship in straightforward encounters. Seeks guidance when adjusting communication strategies in order to mitigate barriers and meet patient/family expectations.
• Interpersonal and team communication. Participates within the inter-professional team. With guidance, clearly and appropriately requests consultation, presenting relevant patient information to supervising physician.
• Communication within the Health Care System. Accurately and timely records information in the patient record. Responds in a timely fashion and in appropriate form (e.g., in-person, HER, telephone, email) to requests. Seeks guidance on best mode of communicating when uncertain.

Practice-based learning and improvement

• Evidence-based and informed practice. Develops and articulates clinical questions. Accesses available evidence with appropriate guidance.
• Reflective practice and commitment to personal growth. Participates in feedback sessions. With guidance from lead/manager, develops professional goals and a learning plan, incorporating feedback and performance data.

Professionalism

• Performs responsibilities in a thorough and timely manner. Proactively seeks guidance in new, complex and/or stressful situations.
• Participates in creating, promoting and sustaining a healthy and productive team and work environment. Familiarizes self with institutional resources that are meant to promote well-being.

System-based practice

• System navigation for patient centered care-coordination of care. Increasingly involved in coordinating care of patients in routine clinical situations. Identifies the need for and engages inter-professional team based on patient and family needs.
• Population and community health. Incorporates awareness of population and community health needs and disparities and knowledge of local resources to inform understanding of patient/family health concerns.

Minimum Education and Experience Required

Minimum education (degree/type of degree). 

• Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner: Graduate degree in nursing accredited by one of the national certifying bodies in nursing. (Or, on or before December 31, 2004, completion of an advanced nurse practitioner program recognized by a national certifying body for certification as a nurse practitioner.) 

Or…

• Physician Assistant: Graduation from a physician assistant program accredited, at the time of graduation, by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

Minimum experience (minimum years & type of experience). No related experience required.

Preferred education & experience. n/a
KSAs required upon hire or transfer. (Please reference the KSA section below)

License and/or Certification

Required: 

At time of hire and maintenance at time of appointment or privilege approval:

• Provider licensing: 
  • Current State of Connecticut (Pediatric) Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) licensure. OR…
  • Certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc. (NCCPA). Current State of Connecticut Physician Assistant licensure.

Additionally:

• Depending on privileges for role, Basic Life Support (BLS) and/or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification may be required.
• Depending on privileges for role, federal DEA and CT controlled substance registration may be required. 
• Certain specialties may require additional certifications.
• Please reference the document: "APP: Certifications by Specialty."

Preferred:

n/a

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Medical knowledge and procedures: 
  • Medical knowledge sufficient to recognize patterns, trends and disease traits and to fully engage in APP learning opportunities, effectively applying such knowledge to basic clinical evaluations and patient care.
• Communication: 
  • Exemplary written and verbal communication.
• Interpersonal: 
  • Respectful and compassionate in interactions with staff, patients, and families.
• Professionalism, organizational view:
  • Demonstrates accountability for assigned work and the extent of one's involvement in patient care. 
  • Demonstrates openness to feedback. Ability to incorporate feedback and learnings into work effort.