Advanced Practice Nurse; Pain Clinic

Overview

The Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) position is in the Pain Clinic within the Specialty Care Services at the Bedford VA Healthcare System in Bedford, Massachusetts. It is permanent and full-time at 40 hours per week.

• The Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a licensed independent practitioner with advanced education and national certification who provides evidence-based care for a population of patients.
• They perform medical management of patients with chronic pain referred to Pain Service as the first line provider for pain management consult.
• Duties include, but are not limited to: manages a panel of patients with acute and chronic health conditions with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention using evidence-based practice.
• Develops and implements an individualized plan to achieve optimal population health and disease management.
• Demonstrates leadership and works collaboratively with Primary Care Team and other interdisciplinary team members.
• Orders and interprets diagnostic studies.
• Prescribes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions.
• Initiates referrals/consults to specialty services.
• Provides education to patients and their families.
• Assesses and adjusts the plan of care as needed to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
• Exemplifies the ICARE core values.
• Acts as a primary provider for chronic pain management.
• Coordinates care for complex patients with chronic pain in their own designated clinic (examples include cases with multiple comorbidities, mental health diagnoses, polypharmacy, multi-modal therapy, and patients who have failed Step 1 of Stepped Care Model of Pain).
• Manages patients with chronic pain and opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine prescribing.
• Coordinates pain management for patients referred to the interdisciplinary pain team.
• Leads the interdisciplinary team for patients seen with dual diagnosis to coordinate care, monitor patient compliance, triage concerns, and provide comprehensive care to this high-risk population.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: pay, leave, retirement, insurance, licensure support, and work schedule details as follows:

• Salary is based on grade and step approved for the selected candidate.
• Work Schedule:
  
  Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Compression/Flexible: Not authorized).
• Telework:
  Not authorized. Virtual:
  This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment
  
  Incentives:
  
  Not authorized. PCS:
  Not authorized.
• Notifications:
  Current federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action).
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.