Advanced Practice Nurse (NP) - Vascular Surgery

The position is located at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital in San Antonio, TX and reports to Surgical Care. The APN in Vascular Surgery provides a full range of services and practices decisions autonomously and in consultation with physician and health care professionals, in a collegial relationship for mutual consultation and referral. Orders, facilitates, and interprets laboratory tests, diagnostic studies, and for Vascular Surgery patients to ensure timely completion.

The Vascular Surgery APN/NP is a licensed independent practitioner with advanced education and national certification who provides a full range of care utilizing treatment guidelines in the delivery of high-quality care. Major duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: Make practice decisions autonomously and in consultation with physician and health care professionals, in a collegial relationship for mutual consultation and referral. Order, facilitate, and interpret laboratory tests, diagnostic studies, and for Vascular Surgery patients to ensure timely completion. Write progress notes daily for General surgery patients and assist teams as necessary with other progress notes. Independently review or complete discharge summaries on all patients on a daily basis. Provide follow-up for evaluation of outcomes of x-rays, laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures. Detect and evaluate any significant change in patient's condition and provide treatment as indicated. Independently managing a panel of patients with acute and chronic health conditions with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention using evidence-based practice Providing assessments, evaluations, and care coordination of Veterans Prescribes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Developing and implementing an individualized plan to achieve optimal population health and disease management Ordering and interpreting labs, tests, and diagnostic studies. Demonstrates critical thinking in assessing and managing complex clinical situations. Communicates with patients via phone inquiries, secure messaging, etc. regarding surgical issues pre and post surgery. Aiding in health promotion, disease prevention, and health education Initiating referrals/consults for services, serving as a VA and community liaison Leads the delivery of care to assure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice, improving outcomes of panel/program. Communicates to attending surgeons and physicians regarding Vascular Surgery patients follow up and management of urologic procedures. Routinely staff the Vascular Surgery and Pre-Admission Surgical Screening Clinic (PASS) clinics In conjunction with Vascular Surgeon responsible for postoperative care of patients including inpatient rounding, discharge instructions from hospital, postoperative clinic evaluation and care. Educate patients on procedures to decrease post-operative wound infections, discuss some of the known risks of the surgery they are about to undergo, the pre-operative and post-operative expectations and expected hospital stay as needed. Maintaining written scopes of practice to medical aspects of patient care that are agreed upon and reviewed every 2 years by the APN and collaborating physician Identify systems issues affecting patient care and take appropriate actions to resolve the situation. Collaborate with nursing, MAS, radiology, pharmacy and other interdisciplinary services as indicated. Reviewing consults for Vascular Surgery and assigns to appropriate clinics for scheduling by MAS. Collaborate with the client/family to establish physical, mental, cultural and environmental factors that facilitate or impede expected goals of surgery and post operative discharge. Contributes to performance improvement initiatives by identifying, analyzing, developing, and implementing processes that improve care at the panel, program, or population level. Collaborates with stake holders to improve patient care, staff development, and performance measure. 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: Monday - Friday, 7:30-4pm CST Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized EDRP: Not Authorized

U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. May be required to pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination, depending on the needs of the organization. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.