Advanced Practitioner Orthotist-Prosthetist - Grand Island, United States - Department Of Veterans Affairs

Description

Summary

The general responsibility of the Orthotist-Prosthetist is to provide the most complex clinical and laboratory prosthetic and orthotic services to disabled patients. The work requires a specialized knowledge of the medical and psychological problems directly related to the use of prosthetic devices; and a specialized knowledge and understanding of the fabrication and satisfactory fitting of prosthetic devices.

A recruitment incentive may be approved for highly qualified candidates.

Duties

This announcement is open continuous. Certificates will be issued to the hiring manager on a bi-weekly basis until all positions have been filled. Announcement will remain open until all vacancies are filled, and may close sooner than 9/30/2024.Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Follows established regulations and procedures to insure patient privacy.
• Identifies biomechanical condition.
• Conducts gait analysis, range of motion, coordination and balance, motor skills, and clinical assessment studies in accordance with occupational principles for unusual conditions, multiple complex interrelated conditions, etc.
• Interviews patients to determine expectations, lifestyle, home/work environment, ability to use the device.
• Takes and documents necessary measurements, casts or scans to develop positive molds of the affected area of the body, which are used to create the orthosis and/or prosthesis.
• Recognizes physical abnormalities, deviations, and complicating conditions with potentially life threatening implications.
• Assesses patient for indications/contra-indications of appropriate treatment protocols and discusses the assessment with the physician/requesting provider for purposes of developing the overall treatment plan. Has considerable influence in the development of the plan.
• Considers new and emerging technologies in designing unique or innovative devices to accommodate or treat a wide range of complex medical conditions, which include unusual problems or complications.
• Considering the information developed through the assessment as well as time management workload considerations, designs custom devices using standard components to optimize patient performance for difficult and complex conditions; may include CAD/CAM systems.
• Selects materials and components to be used in fabrication of the device and determines appropriate equipment to be used in fabrication of the device.
• Fabricates components, or selects and modifies components, and assembles these into the finished device. Uses CAD/CAM system as appropriate in this process and performs preliminary alignment.
• Fits the device on the patient, assures preliminary alignment, and performs subsequent dynamic alignment.
• Assesses and/or modifies fit and function of the device as fabricated and makes appropriate modifications to insure optimum patient outcome.
• Evaluates patient's ability to don/doff the device, provides training to the patient and/or caregiver in its use and maintenance. This may also include training the clinical staff.
• Explains procedures and processes to the patient to reduce anxiety and gain support and cooperation in all stages of the process.
• Maintains the patient's record, including the electronic record, in accordance with established JCAHO/ABC/BOC/Medical Center/VISN policies
• Attends professional and manufacturer's training seminars.
• Completes mandatory training per hospital requirements.
• Maintains professional credentials and/or competency.
• Observes appropriate, established infection control guidelines.
• Follows environmental and occupational safety guidelines.
• Communicates and interacts with physicians, allied health professionals, patient and caregiver in various interdisciplinary clinical settings as a subject matter expert to develop the O/P treatment plan. (PM&R, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, vascular, podiatry, oncology, etc.)
• Conducts in-service training for O/P staff, VSO's, as well as staff in other disciplines regarding O/P technologies.
• Provides guidance and direction to lower graded O/P staff.
• Manages the daily operations of a small to medium Lab.
• Plans clinical schedule for Orthotics and Prosthetics and assures appropriate staff coverage.
• Conducts site surveys of commercial vendors to insure vendor regulatory compliance.
• Evaluates the ability of a vendor to provide a product.
• Responsible for accreditation compliance.
• Develops short & long range plans/goals for the lab in accordance with local, VISN, Headquarters direction.
• Develops budget plan for lab.
• Manages inventory of stock items, fabrication materials, chemicals, and components.
• Assures safe workplace considering environmental concerns, OSHA/JCAHO regulations.
• Conducts quality assurance activities.