Job Description

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) role in this service will be to work in collaboration with the attending Anesthesiologist to assess and optimize patients scheduled for surgery. At Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, surgical specialties include orthopedics, general surgery, gynecology, urology, ENT, plastics, vascular, maxilla facial, dental, ophthalmology and obstetrics. The NP role is derived from blending clinical diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge, skills and abilities within a nursing framework that emphasizes holism, health promotion, and partnership with individuals and families, as well as communities. They provide leadership in the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies to promote health and prevent illness or injury, and they work with inter-professional teams, other health-care professional teams and community members. Nurse Practitioners collaborate in the development of policy to influence health services and health public policy, including relevant education for team members.

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) utilizes a comprehensive theoretical knowledge base and an advanced level of clinical competence to perform and complete history and physicals for preadmission screening and documenting in the medical record, including consultation regarding the risks and benefits of anesthetic techniques in collaboration with Anesthesiologists. The NP will order and collect data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant supporting diagnostic information and may order diagnostic procedures and referrals to other specialists when indicated. The NP will be expected to work with the Anesthesiologists to provide a comprehensive and focused health assessment and implement a plan of care; provide health counseling, education and emotional support in preparation for surgery, including discussing potential complications and health promotion. Furthermore, the NP will assist the inter-professional teams in implementing a plan of care that will enable an overall reduction of length of stay on the inpatient unit, as well as engage in strategies to prevent or reduce admission/readmission to Hospital.

Additional Responsibilities may include:

Direct Comprehensive Care: Obtains and documents a focused health history, performs a physical examination on patients requiring pain assessment, under the direction of attending anesthesiologist. May be required to assist with pain procedures.

Leadership: Provides leadership in the development, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of quality management programs. Participates and provides leadership in the strategic planning process for the delivery of medical care. Assist with policy development and changes relative to the pain service. Supports educational initiatives directed at nursing and allied health to promote and provide medical care that meets best practice standards.

Education: Contributes to the development, implementation and evaluation of patient education programs. Conducts educational teaching sessions with patients and/or families with a focus on health promotion, disease prevention, and impact of illness experience on the patient and family.

Research: Encourages, supports, and facilitates the development of researchable questions in clinical practice. Participates in quality assurance projects related to pain management.

Consultation: Provides consultation internally and externally for clinical practice issues for review with attending anesthesiologist and as per NP scope of practice.