Section spotlight By Carrie Hayes, MS, PA
NP/PA Section: Opportunities for advanced practice providers
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espite the unique challenges we are all dealing with in the face of an unprecedented pandemic, it is an exciting
time of growth and development in IR, both as a specialty and for the providers that compromise its care teams. In particular, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs), now referred to as advanced practice providers (APPs), comprise a critical part of the IR team, improving the patient care experience and enhancing departmental productivity. Nationally, IR is a fast-growing employment specialty for APPs but education for this specialty is not currently part of any standard training curriculums. APPs in IR are required to have a diverse scope of practice that can include clinical, procedural, academic and research-related responsibilities. Therefore, there is an unmet need for national standards regarding education, clinical practice and procedures. This lack of standards can impact reimbursement and billing practices and lead to difficulty hiring appropriate staff.
In response to these challenges, the SIR Executive Council approved the creation of the NP/PA Section in 2017. The overarching mission of the section and its governing council is to enable APPs to achieve their professional goals, serve as a resource to the SIR Executive Council and provide a forum that encourages exchange of information, leading to an increase in expertise related to patient and procedural care. By providing a pathway for professional development within the organization, the goal is to facilitate the development of accredited educational programs and the distribution of the most up-to-date research on best-practice measures. Through these pathways, steady enrollment and involvement of APPS in IR should increase and collegial expectations of practice and interaction for service standards across IR departments should thrive nationally.
32 IRQ | FALL 2020
To further this mission, the section has several committees dedicated to a specific arm of the vision.
Membership In order to strengthen the section, increasing SIR membership and encouraging section participation is key. This will be accomplished through outreach and collaboration with other APP communities and NP and PA organizations. It will also be important to build section representation in existing SIR sections and committees and increase awareness through social media. This committee will also work to identify NP and PA mentors and develop a mentorship program.
Annual meeting The Annual Meeting Planning Committee is charged with developing dedicated programming for the NP and PA attendees of the SIR Annual Scientific Meeting, in both didactic and hands-on workshop format. The annual meeting creates a collaborative and robust multidisciplinary environment to expand the depth of NP/PA programming, improve pharmacology and increase other multidisciplinary content, including medical and surgical topics.
Continuing education The Continuing Education Committee is charged with identifying and developing educational resources for members. This group has been working to review and repurpose existing SIR educational content for NPs and PAs, promote or suggest SIR educational products, establish pathways for CME credit, and further educate members about CME credit opportunities. Future goals include providing access for virtual education, with some content already in the works.
Clinical practice The Clinical Practice Committee is responsible for addressing issues related to clinical practice in IR. This committee works to develop tools
and resources to increase expertise in patient and procedural care. Projects include addressing performance and quality improvement issues, researching and developing best practice measures and collaborating with the SIR Standards Division and other relevant committees to develop scope of practice guidelines. The committee is actively working on the creation of an onboarding/ clinical care manual for new IR APPs, creating a framework for protocols and guidelines in procedural and clinical care, enhancing language surrounding medical licensure and advocating for radiation safety protocols and guidelines for APPS nationally.
SIR Fellowship designation In March, the SIR Executive Council approved the policy proposed by the Fellows’ Affairs Committee that will allow for Associate members to be eligible for SIR Fellowship designation. Eligible nominees/applicants will have 8 years of contiguous SIR membership and will be able to demonstrate significant contributions to SIR and interventional radiology.
Conclusion The NP/PA Section is a great way to invest in yourself and your team by expanding your network and increasing your knowledge base in IR. We are part of an exciting community of APPs who have so much to contribute and share and understand that patient care is at the heart of what we do. We are actively seeking new members and are open to any suggestions/ recommendations for what you need.
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