Clinical Assistant

**Req ID**:168439**
**Company: Nova Scotia Health**
**Location**:Central** Zone, **Centennial Building - QEII**
**Department**:MED Clinical Assistants**
**Type of Employment**:Permanent** **Hourly FT** (**100%** FTE) x 3 position(s)**
**Status**:Management/Non Union** P**osition**
**Posting Closing Date**:24-Nov-23**

Nova Scotia Health is the largest provider of health services in Nova Scotia, with some specialized services also offered to clients throughout Atlantic Canada. We’re on a mission to achieve excellence in health, healing and learning through working together, which is reflected in the hospitals, health centres and community-based programs we operate across the province. Our passionate team of professionals provides a variety of high-quality inpatient and outpatient services including academic, tertiary, and quaternary care, as well as continuing care, primary health care, public health, and mental health and addictions. Join a diverse team of innovators, collaborators and creative thinkers today.

**About the Opportunity**:
The Clinical Assistant is a licensed physician employed by Nova Scotia Health to provide medical care under the supervision of a fully licensed physician. They will have clearly defined clinical duties within the Department of Surgery under Division of Thoracic Surgery in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Participation in the call schedule is required. The Clinical Assistant will report directly to the Division Head of Thoracic Surgery (CPSNS Supervisor) or their designate, and indirectly to the Central Zone Executive Medical Director through the Director of Medical Affairs, NSH.

**Clinical Responsibilities**
- Functions as a member of the Thoracic Surgery team. Makes regular rounds with supervising staff, Nurse Practitioners, fellows, and residents on the wards, the emergency department and in the ICU as required. They will assess patients in outpatient clinics
- Works with attending staff, nurses, pharmacists, dieticians, social workers, physiotherapists, physician house staff, and other members of the health care team in the development and delivery of the overall patient care program
- Communicates with patients, families, referring and family physicians concerning patient management plans
- Performs and documents admission history and physical examinations, progress notes, discharge summaries, death certificates, medication reconciliations, etc
- Manages the day-to-day care of patients, including writing medical orders on charts and consultations of other services and responding to emergencies in hospital, in consultation with attending staff
- If competency to do so has been established and signed off by the Division Head or their designate, the CA will conduct assessments of patients in the emergency room and in-house patient consultations to Thoracic Surgery. This includes the Thoracic Surgery assessment of the trauma patient.
- They will perform procedures within the scope of their demonstrated competence including: taking blood samples for diagnostic purposes or arterial blood gases, insertion of Foley catheters, insertion of naso-gastric tubes, assessment of surgical wounds, suturing of surgical wounds, removal of sutures, removal of surgical drains, insertion/removal of central venous catheters, removal of pleural fluid via thoracentesis, insertion/removal of chest tubes and indwelling pleural catheters and administration of medication (thrombolytic/pleurodesis) through chest tubes. In any and all of the above, the Assistant will not proceed until full training and competence has been established with signing off by the Division Head or their designate.
- Is recertified for procedures within the scope of his/her demonstrated competencies
- Assists in the operating room when on call or when no residents are available during the day. At no time will the clinical assistant be left alone in the operating room. The clinical assistant will not be responsible for any intra-operative decision making. The clinic assistant may be trained to do simple tasks such as skin/scalp stapling or suturing but again, always under the guidance of the staff member
- Arranges consultations with other departments/services for patient care and investigation
- Follows through on investigations and arranges follow-up outpatient visits
- Participates in Continuing Professional Development (educational sessions, tumor boards, and rounds) of at least 50 hours per year. The Division Head will have the resources explained and have a mechanism in place to monitor and report CPD.
- Interacts with and orientates clinical clerks and PGY1’s, new to the Thoracic Service
- Participates in on-call responsibilities of the service including evenings and weekends
- These responsibilities are meant to be indicative of the job responsibilities and duties and are not all-inclusive

**About You**:
We would love to hear from you if you have the following:

- CMPA coverage required
- ACLS certific