Knowledge and Practice: Demonstrates knowledge, expertise and clinical competency in the role of the First and Second Surgical Assistant. Uses an integrated approach toward patient outcomes, performs complete perioperative patient assessment, and provides safe, therapeutic care in a holistic and systematic way. Incorporates differences into the provision of care. Integrates knowledge, skills and experiences to meet the needs of patients and families throughout the continuum to include patient family education. Professional Development: Ensures improvements in practice settings by assuming responsibility for self development in life long learning. Demonstrates leadership skills and serves as a resource, preceptor and mentor. Teamwork for outcome driven care: Provides patient care independently and works cooperatively with colleagues and other team members.

Job Responsibilities:

• Perform all aspects of inpatient care for Thoracic Surgery/Interventional Pulmonology Service including but not limited to rounding, documentation, ordering and interpreting labs/radiology, OR first assist and bedside procedures in collaboration with attending physicians
• Uses an integrated approach toward patient outcomes. Applies principles of asepsis and infection control skillfully.
• Demonstrates knowledge of all areas of wound closure, tying techniques, ligating vessels, securing, of drains, wound approximation, use of suture materials and stapling devices. Anticipates and demonstrates the needs of the surgeon and patient when assisting i.e., provides exposure, homeostasis and careful devices, with exams and procedures. Demonstrates manual dexterity in the use of surgical instruments. Able to perform and remain calm under critical, stressful and emergent situations and functions independently when requested.
• Demonstrates superior knowledge of normal and pathological anatomy and physiology.
• Follows OSHA and safety precautions by handling instruments properly, using standard precautions, utilizing a safety zone and wearing appropriate PPE. Demonstrates superior surgical/medical knowledge of the surgical procedure and exhibits competency in the use of specialized equipment, power drills, endoscopic instrumentation and the knowledge base to prepare allografts, implants, etc.
• Collaborates with surgical team to determine positioning techniques, instrumentation requirements, and patients needs and confers with attending physician. Advocates patient rights from the patient/family perspective: provides counsel and acts as a resource to resolve issues. Provides continuing patient and family medical education.
• Performs pertinent H&P exam with respect to surgical condition.
• Professional Development:
  • Attends Surgical Suite in services, PA-C staff meetings and in services related to new equipment/instrumentation.
  • Maintains INOVA Annual Employee Requirements Form for competency record/profile.
  • Collaborates with Preoperative Shared Leadership members to develop and create an education plan for on going education, mentorship program or new staff members and students.
  • Seeks leadership opportunities within an area of expertise.
  • Maintains both board certifications and CME requirements as determined by the NCCPA. Rectification exam every 10 years, 100 CME per two year logging period. Maintains state licensure as a PA-C.
  • Establish and maintains medical staff privileges at both Inova Fairfax and Inova Loudoun Hospitals
  • Maintains current knowledge, trends and advances in medicine and surgery.

• Teamwork for Outcome Driven Care:
  • Demonstrate the knowledge and ability to perform placements of percutaneous gastrostomy tubes.
  • Under the direction of the attending physician, performs rounds on patients to assess their post operative progress and deliver surgical care as appropriate (i.e., wound care, suture removal, aspiration, removal of various catheters/drains). At the request of attending physician performs and or writes patient assessments, progress notes, discharge notes and orders. Communicate operative reports to PACU nurse and assists anesthesiology with transfer and monitoring of patient from OR to PACU. Reviews and assesses post operative X-rays, pertinent laboratory data and application of various surgical appliances or splitting devices. Rounds patients in PACU, assesses and manages post operative complications and communicates patient status to attending physician.