Partners Community Health

Position Summary:

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) provides direct comprehensive care to LTC facility residents with specialized and complex needs based on enhanced clinical knowledge and skills.

The NP will work to their full scope of practice while working collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities:

· Formulates differential diagnoses through the integration of resident information, evidence-informed practice, and determinants of health in the assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic management of residents within a team of physicians, nurses, PSWs and several other interdisciplinary team members.

· Performs a complete or focused physical examination and identifies and interprets normal and abnormal findings as appropriate to resident's presentation.

· Anticipates and diagnoses emergent, urgent, and life-threatening situations.

· Orders and/or performs screening and diagnostic investigations, interprets results using evidence-informed clinical reasoning and critical inquiry, and assumes responsibility for follow-up.

· Diagnoses diseases, disorders, injuries, and conditions, and identifies health needs, while considering the resident's response to the health/illness experience

· Communicates with residents/families/substitute decision makers (SDMs) about health assessment findings and/or diagnosis, including outcomes and prognosis.

· Prescribes pharmacotherapy based on the resident's health history, disease, disorder, condition and stage of life, and individual circumstances.

· Applies knowledge of pharmacotherapy and evidence-informed practice in prescribing, monitoring and dispensing drugs.

· Counsels SDM/families on medication therapy, benefits, potential side effects and possible interactions

· Monitors, evaluates, and revises the plan of care and therapeutic intervention based on current evidence-informed practice and on resident goals, preferences, health status and outcomes.

· Incorporates knowledge of the clinical manifestations of acute illness/ injuries, chronic diseases, comorbidities, and emergency health needs, including the effects of multiple etiologies in the assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic management of residents and in the evaluation of outcomes.

· Provides resident diagnostic information and education that are relevant, theory-based, and evidence-informed, using appropriate teaching/learning strategies.

· Integrates the principles of resource allocation and cost-effectiveness into clinical decision-making.

· Documents clinical data, assessment findings, diagnoses, plans of care, therapeutic interventions, resident responses, and clinical rationale in a timely and accurate manner.

· Collaborates and engages with the resident and SDM/family to develop a person-centered plan of care.

· Consults with and/or refers residents to other health-care providers at any point in the care continuum when the resident's condition is not within the nurse practitioner scope of practice or the individual nurse practitioner's competence.

· Collaborates with members of the health-care team to provide and promote interprofessional resident-centred care at the individual, organizational and systems levels.

· Coordinates and facilitates resident care with other health-care providers, agencies, and community resources.

· Focuses on resident's overall quality of life, maximizing independence and comfort and promotes a positive outlook of aging to the individual and community.

· Engages in evidence-informed practice by critically appraising and applying relevant research, best practice guidelines and theory when providing healthcare services

· Evaluates the effectiveness of interventions and adjusts plan of care as needed in collaboration with resident and/or SDM/family, and/or interdisciplinary team.

· Liaises with discharge planning services for hospitalized residents to ensure smooth transitions to and from other facilities.

· Advocates for and provides palliative and end-of-life care.

· Promotes knowledge development of long-term care staff by integrating best practices in resident care.

· Participates in research and quality improvement initiatives.

· Provides leadership in the management of clinical care and is a resource person, educator, and role model (e.g., providing health teaching, leadership during huddles, care conferences and interdisciplinary rounds.

Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s in Nursing; Master's Degree in Nursing is preferred.

· Successful completion of the Ontario Primary HealthCare Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program

· Current registration with the College of Nurses as Registered Nurse in the Extended Class in Ontario

· Current Membership in the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ontario and the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO)

· Current Canadian Gerontological Nursing certification or current plans to obtain certification.

· Minimum of 5 years' experience in gerontological nursing and/or as a primary health care nurse practitioner, preferred.

· Experience in geriatrics and/or geriatric psychiatry in the care of persons with 'biological and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) with responsive behaviours (preferred)

· Experience in the care of residents in long-term care facilities

· Knowledge of the Standards of the College of Nurses of Ontario, LTC Standards, Pharmacy Standards, and the Regulated Health Professionals Act

· Knowledge of Infection Control and Risk Management

· Proven leadership abilities with excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills

· Demonstrated fit with critical behavior's of core and management/leadership competencies.