Nurse Practitioner - Anesthesia Preparedness Clinic

UC San Diego Health is a Magnet designated organization, which is a prestigious recognition that applies to only 10% of all U.S. Hospitals. Magnet is the 'gold standard' for nursing excellence and is based on strengths in five key areas, which include transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, innovation and improvements and empirical outcomes. UC San Diego Health has held its Magnet status since 2011. The Anesthesia Preparedness Clinic (APC) Nurse Practitioner (NP) provides comprehensive preoperative health assessments prior to surgery to ensure medical optimization before anesthesia. The NP, in accordance with standardized procedures, will conduct in-depth interviews with patients and/or family, construct comprehensive medical histories, perform initial and periodic physical examinations, evaluate patient behavior, and explore patients' interpretation of health needs. NPs directly perform or order appropriate diagnostic studies and interpret the results; and develop and implement long- and short-range treatment plans. NPs work in collaboration with other health care team members, consulting and referring as appropriate, but retain responsibility for the ongoing clinical management of the patient. NPs assess and provide nursing actions as appropriate for patient care populations based on competence, professional expertise, and knowledge. The nurse is expected to practice consistent with ANA Standards of Practice and Professional Performance. Independent judgment is expected within the context of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to patient care. Under general supervision, assignments at this level primarily encompass management of patients who present chronic and/or episodic health problems. Assignments at this level may include responsibility for occasional community teaching programs, participation in program planning, and development of patient education information.