Mission, History, Goals, & Competencies

UNMC Mission

We are Nebraska Medicine and UNMC.
Our mission is to lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future for all individuals and communities through premier educational programs, innovative research and extraordinary patient care.

Division of PA Education Mission Statement

We will be innovative leaders in physician assistant education, developing clinicians who practice evidence-based medicine and provide exceptional, team-based care to all individuals and communities.

History

The University of Nebraska Medical Center Physician Assistant Program was established as a result of a mandate from the Nebraska State Legislature in November of 1971. The purpose of the PA Program was to provide primary care providers for rural and underserved areas of Nebraska.

The first students graduated from the Program in 1975 with a bachelor's degree. In 1993, the Program began awarding a Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree and at the time, was one of the first PA programs nationally to offer a master's degree.

As the demand for a master's degree level of physician assistant education increased, in September of 1996, the PA Program established the Distance Learning Program. This Program allowed practicing PAs with a bachelor's degree earn master's degree while continuing to their PA practice.

Goals and Outcomes

PA Graduate Competencies

Graduates of the UNMC PA Program are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the following competency areas, which are based upon the ‘Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession,” developed and maintained by the four main PA professional organizations: NCCPA, AAPA, ARC-PA and PAEA.

A. Medical Knowledge, Clinical Reasoning, & Problem-Solving Abilities

Medical knowledge includes the synthesis of pathophysiology, patient presentation, differential diagnosis, patient management, surgical principles, health promotion, and disease prevention. Physician assistants must demonstrate core knowledge about established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care in their area of practice. In addition, physician assistants are expected to demonstrate an investigative and analytic thinking approach to clinical situations.

Upon completion of the PA program, graduates will be able to:

1. Explain epidemiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and the appropriate physical examination and diagnostic workup, including expected findings, for emergent, acute, and chronic medical conditions.
2. Analyzes physical examination and diagnostic study findings to diagnose and correctly manage general medical and surgical conditions, to include explaining the indications, contraindications, side effects, interactions, and adverse reactions of pharmacologic agents, deciding on appropriate patient disposition, and proper utilization of other treatment modalities.
3. Develop appropriate interventions for screening and prevention of conditions in an asymptomatic individual.
4. Formulate a differential diagnosis using appropriate history, physical exam, and diagnostic study findings.

B. Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Interpersonal and communication skills encompass the verbal, nonverbal, written, and electronic exchange of information. Physician assistants must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange with patients, patients’ families, physicians, professional associates, and other individuals within the health care system.

Upon completion of the PA program, graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate effective and contextually appropriate communication, questioning, and writing skills to adequately and accurately elicit and document information in a manner that creates and sustains a therapeutic and ethically sound patient relationship, enables sound patient education, and records information for medical, legal, quality, and financial purposes.
2. Works effectively with physicians and other health care professionals as a member ofa health care team, including demonstrating emotional resilience and stability, an understanding human behavior, adaptability, and flexibility within the team and clinical environment.

C. Patient Care & Clinical and Technical Skills

Patient care includes patient-specific and setting-specific assessment, evaluation, and management. Physician assistants must demonstrate care that is effective, safe, high quality, and equitable.

Upon completion of the PA program, graduates will be able to:

1. Works effectively with physicians and other health care professionals to provide competent, equitable, evidence-based, patient-centered care, to assist in and perform appropriate surgical procedures, and to provide preventive healthcare services aimed at maintaining health across the lifespan.
2. Demonstrates caring and respectful behavior when interacting with patients of all ages and their families, including collecting essential and accurate information, developing and carrying out patient management plans, and providing patient and family counseling and education.

D. Professionalism

Professionalism is the expression of positive values and ideals as care is delivered. Foremost, it involves prioritizing the interests of those being served above one’s own. Physician assistants must acknowledge their professional and personal limitations. Professionalism requires that PAs practice without impairment from substance misuse, cognitive deficiency or mental illness. Physician assistants must demonstrate a high level of responsibility, ethical practice, sensitivity to a diverse patient population, and adherence to legal and regulatory requirements.

Upon completion of the PA program, graduates will be able to:

1. Explains the appropriate role of the physician assistant and maintains professional relationships with collaborating physicians and all members of the healthcare team while remaining committed to ethical principles, confidentiality of patient information, and informed consent.
2. Demonstrates respect, compassion, and integrity to all patients, society, and the PA profession, including being sensitive and responsive to individual patients and recognizing and addressing health disparities that may exist.

E. Practice-Based Learning & Improvement

Practice-based learning and improvement includes the processes through which physician assistants engage in critical analysis of their own practice experience, the medical literature, and other information resources for the purposes of self- and practice-improvement. Physician assistants must be able to assess, evaluate, and improve their patient care practices.

Upon completion of the PA program, graduates will be able to:

1. 1. Locates, synthesizes, analyzes, and critiques evidence from scientific studies, technology resources, and current literature, including identification of gaps in knowledge, statistical and methodological validity, limitations, and biases, on diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness and integrate this information into informed patient management.

F. Systems-Based Practice & Interprofessional Collaboration

Systems-based practice encompasses the societal, organizational, and economic environments in which health care is delivered. Physician assistants must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger system of health care to provide patient care that balances quality and cost, while maintaining the primacy of the individual patient. PAs should work to improve the health care system of which their practices are a part.

Upon completion of the PA program, graduates will be able to:

1. Explain the funding sources, payment structure, and resource allocation that contributes to patient care and practice quality, cost-effective care.
2. Accepts responsibility for promoting a safe healthcare environment, advocating for patients navigating the healthcare system, and recognizing and correcting systems- based factors that negatively impact patient care.