Advanced Practice Nurse Anesthesia

Full Job Description

The Pre-op Nurse Practitioner Anesthesia is responsible for the comprehensive medical evaluation and optimization of Veterans scheduled for elective and urgent surgical procedures.

This role involves high-level clinical decision-making to reduce surgical cancellations, improve patient outcomes, and ensure compliance with VHA national anesthesia standards and Buffalo VA local policies.

Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Basic Requirements Education: A post-master's certificate or master's or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner.

(Applicants pending the completion of educational requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until the education requirements are met.) Must be a graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

NOTE: Foreign Education.

Graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing programs, the nurse practitioner degree equivalency must be validated through an Agency recognized degree equivalency evaluation agency, such as the International Consultants of Delaware (ICD).

Candidates with equivalent nurse practitioner masters or doctorate level degrees who possess current, full, active, and unrestricted registration and certification will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant appointment.

License and Certification: License.

All APN (NPs) must possess and maintain an active, current, full, and unrestricted APN license to practice as an NP in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.

Basic Certification.

All APN (NPs) must maintain full and current board certification in an area of clinical specialty from one of the following: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), or other nationally recognized certifying body in the area in which the Nurse Practitioner is academically prepared.

NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and an APN (NP) assignment that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification.

Physical Requirements: As detailed in VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Major Duties:

Key Responsibilities & Clinical Duties 1. Pre-Anesthesia Risk Assessment Conduct comprehensive history and physical examinations (H&Ps) focusing on cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic stability.

Assign ASA Physical Status Classifications and determine the necessity of further specialty clearances (e.g., Cardiology, Pulmonology).

Review and interpret diagnostic tests including EKGs, chest X-rays, and laboratory results.

Clinical Reporting: Document all findings in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) using standardized Pre-Op templates to ensure data is available for the Anesthesia attending on the day of surgery.

2. Patient Optimization & Education Manage perioperative medication protocols (e.g., anticoagulation bridging, diabetic medication adjustment).

Educate Veterans and families on surgical expectations, NPO (fasting) requirements, and post-operative pain management strategies.

Identify high-risk "frailty" factors and coordinate with social work or nutrition services as needed. 3.

Administrative & Collaborative Leadership Serve as the primary liaison between Surgery, Anesthesia, and Primary Care to close the loop on medical optimization.

Assist in managing the "Pre-Op Tracker" to ensure all clinical requirements are met 24-48 hours prior to the procedure.

Support the Thursday Morning Anesthesia Team Meeting by identifying systemic bottlenecks in the pre-op workflow. 4.

Technical Skills & Systems Proficiency CPRS/VistA: Advanced proficiency in navigating patient records, entering orders, and managing clinical alerts.

DSS (Decision Support System): Understanding of how pre-op encounters map to clinical workload and productivity reporting.

Microsoft Excel: Ability to utilize departmental tracking tools for surgical volume and optimization metrics.

Other Duties as Assigned VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Full-time, 8:00 AM to 4:30PM Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.