Nurse Practitioner II - Immune Deficiency and Cellular Therapy Program (ID-CTP)

Within Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., the Clinical Research Directorate (CRD), various clinical support teams provide high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). CRD's support services are strategically aligned with the program's mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CRD services include comprehensive clinical trials monitoring, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions; parasitic infections; rheumatic and inflammatory diseases; and rare and neglected diseases. CRD's collaborative approach to clinical research and the expertise and dedication of staff to the continuation and success of the program's mission has contributed to improving the overall standards of public health on a global scale.

KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES

The Clinical Research Directorate (CRD) provides comprehensive, dedicated clinical research, nursing and physician support for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), Immune Deficiency and Cellular Therapy Program (ID-CTP).

• Provides nursing care for inpatient pediatric BMT and gene therapy patients
• Completes in-depth documentation through written progress notes, dictation summaries, and communication with referring physicians according to medical record documentation requirements
• Participates in clinical rounds and conferences
• Administers and adjusts trial medication under the guidance of a physician
• Explains discharge instructions and medication regimens to patients and follow up with consulting service recommendations
• Orders, performs and interprets basic laboratory diagnostic/treatment tests, procedures and writes prescriptions
• Performs comprehensive health care assessments by obtaining health and family medical histories
• Completes physical examinations
• Performs clinical data recording and medical chart entries
• Obtains informed consent
• Maintains and completes medical records
• Performs retrievals from electronic medical information system
• Distinguishes between normal and abnormal findings and determine which findings need further evaluation and/or collaboration assessment
• Develops and implements a plan for care, including appropriate patient/family counseling and education based on in-depth knowledge of the specific patient populations and/or protocols
• Evaluates, modifies and revises care plan at appropriate intervals
• Diagnoses and manages common acute or stable chronic health problems, injuries, and illnesses making assessments of acute and non-acute clinical problems and toxicities
• Assesses needs and/or problem areas and plans appropriate therapeutic measures
• Assists in developing, implementing and evaluating medical services policies and practices
• Directs fellows and residents to available resources for proper procedures and/or administrative guidelines
• Ensures compliance with applicable licensure/certification requirements, healthcare standards, governmental laws and regulations, and policies, procedures, and philosophy in nature
• Assists with extensive clinical trials programs focused on developing novel therapies
• Attends scheduled patient care rounds and didactic lecture sessions of the clinical team to which s/he is assigned
• Demonstrates expertise in related healthcare, individual initiative, and independent judgment
• Counsels, supports, and educates patients and staff on matters relating to health and research studies/protocols
• Develops patient rapport and provides emotional support in helping patients cope with stress associated with illnesses
• Develops written protocols for management of illnesses and injuries in conjunction with either/or the consulting and referring physician
• Dictates admission and discharge summaries
• Edits or adds to document resource items for resident review/reference
• Interprets and documents diagnostic tests and studies related to clinical trial interventions and patient conditions
• Ensures unusual problems are referred to physicians or an administrative supervisor
• Explains the plan of care/discharge needs to the incoming on-call resident as well as the patient's assigned case manager at sign out
• Independently evaluates patients in both the inpatient and outpatient clinic settings. All activities shall be performed in coordination with a government attending physician
• Liaises with Leidos Biomed and various NCI staff to initiate and complete tasks relating to medicine and clinical protocols, and all activities related to nursing
• Maintains a high level of clinical competence in an area of specialty practice integrating the art and science of both nursing and medicine into practice
• Maintains and enhances clinical practice skills by attending/participating in and conducting staff development and continuing education programs
• Monitors and evaluates health effects related to new/ongoing protocol studies
• Monitors and grades side effects related to a variety of study interventions, including drugs and psychological behaviors
• Practices within boundaries established by the Nurse Practice Act or the State of Maryland and Medical Board of the Clinical Center
• Pre-screens, discusses available protocols and recruits patients to our trials
• Promote health maintenance and disease prevention programs
• Provide medical on-call services on a rotating schedule
• Provide clinical supervision of lower level clinical staff
• Provides clear communication to the nursing team
• Provides documentation and monitoring/grading of side effects related to a variety of study interventions including drugs and psychological behavior
• Provides health care maintenance, diagnostic and therapeutic services, education and counseling within the boundaries of his/her specialty area of education and clinical preparation (pediatrics, adults, urologic, surgical, etc.)
• Provide ICU emergency care services, as needed related to injury and/or illness
• Provide medical evaluation and longitudinal follow-up of participants enrolled in clinical trials
• Review assigned patient resident reports and carry and answer the resident pager
• Provide coverage for the post-call resident's patients, while working closely with the Inpatient/Fellowship staff
• Screens and monitors medical status of patients/subjects participating in research studies and/or protocols
• Supports in-patient and out-patient care of subjects enrolled in experimental protocols and clinical trials
• Works as a member of a multidisciplinary clinical team to provide comprehensive care to patients in a research environment
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary team to report, gather and grade symptoms and adverse events.
• This position is located in Bethesda, Maryland

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Must possess a degree/diploma from a professional nursing program approved by the legally designated State accrediting agency at the time the program was completed by the applicant
• Must have active, current registration as a professional nurse in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States
• Must have appropriate certification issued by the appropriate certifying body the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), or the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Family or Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
• Must be Maryland State Board eligible. Eligibility includes documentation of a pending Maryland license
• Foreign degrees must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency
• A minimum of two (2) years relevant clinical Nurse Practitioner experience
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Oncology experience
• Prior nursing experience with clinical trials and/or oncology
• Experience in standard and investigational therapy in a research setting
• Experience in an out-patient setting

JOB HAZARDS/REQUIREMENTS

• Candidate will be working with or have the potential for exposure to infectious material(s) or Other Potentially Infectious Materials (OPIM), requiring medical clearance and immunization in accordance with protocol requirements
• Candidate is subject to atmospheric conditions that would require the usage of a respirator, requiring a medical clearance