Responsibilities

Clinical Practice

• Provides direct care, counseling, and teaching to patients and families according to established collaborative protocols and standards of care.
• Sets priorities for appropriate and efficient management of patient care that reflects cost effective management of time, available human resources, supplies, and equipment.
• Performs psychiatric evaluations and evidence-based psychopharmacologic treatment prescribed guidelines and appropriate to patient needs.
• Continually evaluates patient clinical safety and initiates referrals to appropriate higher levels of care as necessary including initiating Section 12 protocol, referring patient to Boston Emergency Services (BEST) team or center Emergency Room. Coordinates with receiving program or facility to ensure clinical awareness of situation and advocates for patient’s needs.
• Conducts discharge appointments and medication reconciliation with patients discharging from inpatient facilities and higher levels of care to transition them back into outpatient services.
• Provides timely patient clinical support between visits through returning clinical calls to patients, facilities, and collaborating providers.
• Refers to appropriate inter-department specialty programs for diagnostic clarity, treatment recommendations, and clinical support.
• Provides clinical support for departmental patient care needs including medication refill and urgent appointments, and assistance with refill requests through electronic medical record.
• Orders, interprets, and evaluates appropriate lab and diagnostic tests to assess patient's clinical problems and health care needs.
• Based on outcome of diagnostic, lab, and physical assessment findings, arranges for appropriate plan of care and follow-up.
• Records pertinent patient care findings in the medical record. Maintains interdisciplinary approach to planning and communicating patient care information by discussing patient data with appropriate physicians and other health care professionals.
• Evaluates outcomes of patient care and makes necessary revisions in care plan.
• Seeks and provides consultative services as required including coordination with patient’s primary care providers and specialists.
• Through patient education and counseling, incorporates the concepts of health maintenance, prevention, and promotion into daily practice.
• Demonstrates awareness of community resources and assists staff, patients, and families to effectively utilize them.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age groups of patients regularly served.
• Notifies supervisor when patients in age groups not regularly served present and seeks assistance from individuals with the knowledge of the specialized needs of such patient age groups.

Professional Development

• In collaboration with appropriate physicians, assists in the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of nurse practitioner guidelines, policies, procedures, and protocols.
• Demonstrates leadership skills in problem solving with and directing designated personnel in assigned clinical area.
• Maintains current knowledge of legislation that may affect the health care delivery system and the function of the nurse practitioner in the hospital setting.
• Serves on nursing and hospital committees when requested and refers appropriate information to various departmental and hospital committees as needed.
• Identifies own learning needs and assumes responsibility for maintaining current knowledge and competency in clinical practice area.
• Educates patients, families, and professionals through the development of educational materials, in-services, formal lectures, and/or publications.

Quality Assessment/Improvement and Research

• Consistently participates in the quality assessment/improvement program for the service.
• Based on quality improvement finding, identifies appropriate follow-up quality improvement projects or research studies.
• Utilizes quality improvement data and research findings to enhance patient care.
• Participates in patient care research at a level consistent with educational background and experience.
• Facilitates patient engagement in research opportunities by educating patients on actively recruiting research studies and appropriately refers for participation