Center for Advanced Practice

Our nurse practitioners (NP) provide patients with comprehensive healthcare including diagnosis, treatment, prevention and health management, with a strong emphasis on caring for the whole person's well-being and needs. Our NPs are highly qualified, having completed rigorous clinical training, peer reviews, clinical outcome evaluations and a national NP certification. Our NPs hold master's and/or doctoral degrees and continue their self-directed education by actively participating in research and clinical trials.      

Christ Hospital NPs provide a full range of health services including: 

• Ordering diagnostic tests, labs and first assistance in the OR                    
• Diagnosing acute and chronic health conditions                    
• Prescribing treatment and medications                    
• Counseling and educating patients on proactive wellness choices and treatment options 
• Taking medical histories and performing medical exams   

Physician Assistants (PAs) work with our physicians, enhancing our team's abilities to see our patients quickly and efficiently. Each PA has a unique set of responsibilities based on their office location, specialty, and level of expertise. Our PAs complete three years of graduate level medical education, more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations and the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). To maintain PA status, our PAs complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and a recertification exam every ten years. 

 PAs provide health services including:      

• Taking medical history and performing physical examinations                    
• Developing patient treatment plans                    
• Ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests and lab work                   
• First Assisting in the OR.                    
• Diagnosing health conditions and writing prescriptions for treatment 

Our Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) practice in a variety of health care settings including the hospital, emergency room and private practice. Our CNSs are advanced practice nurses with master's and/or doctoral degrees with expertise in a specific specialty, type of health condition, setting and type of care. Our team of CNSs has a passion for working within and advancing their specialty, giving our patients one-of-a-kind innovative care.                   

Our CNAs provides numerous healthcare services including:                   

• Palliative Care
• Managing ongoing treatments and complex care                  
• Diagnosing and treating acute, chronic and complex health conditions          
• Designing and implementing healthcare interventions and evaluating healthcare outcomes    

Our Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) are licensed healthcare practitioners with education in both nursing and midwifery. Our CNMs provide mothers with full-circle care beginning with preconception preparation through post-birth healthcare, including physical, emotional and spiritual support.          

They offer comprehensive pregnancy care including:                  

• Preconception counseling 
• Ongoing support throughout entire pregnancy 
• Supporting new mothers and their partners during and post-labor 
• Management of uncomplicated deliveries 

Our Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) provide expert anesthesia care for our patients undergoing various types of surgical procedures. CRNAs administer anesthesia in all clinical settings, including the hospital and ambulatory surgical centers. 

They must earn their RN first and then complete either a master's or a doctorate degree with an accredited CRNA program. To ensure ongoing competency, the CRNA must complete several requirements in four core modules through the CPC education program in addition to a proficiency assessment.  Some of their skills include management of patients before, during, and after anesthesia, line insertion and management, airway insertion and maintenance. 

Our certified anesthesiology assistants (CAA) provide expert anesthesia care as part of the anesthesiology team. They work in many of our clinical settings including the hospital and the ambulatory surgery center.  

They must first receive a bachelor's degree and then attain a master's degree from an accredited CAA program. To ensure ongoing competency, they must complete 40 continuing medical education hours every two years and take the Continued Demonstration of Qualifications Exam every 10 years. Some of their skills include airway insertion & maintenance, insertion of peripheral, central and arterial lines and monitoring of patients during anesthesia.