Advanced Practice Provider - Headache - Open Rank-Instructor, Sr. Instructor
University of Colorado Anschutz
A complete application in a minute
Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.
Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
University of Colorado Anschutz in Aurora, CO is seeking an Advanced Practice Provider (Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Clinical Nurse Specialist) for headache care. The role offers outpatient, direct patient care including procedures like nerve blocks and Botox injections, in collaboration with neurology colleagues across campus.
Applicants should have neurology experience, excellent communication, and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team. Rank will be Instructor or Sr.
Qualifications
- NP/PA/CNS degree and Colorado license required.
- Experience with neurological patients and chronic pain.
- Experience documenting in complex EHR systems.
- Knowledge of headache disorders and office procedures.
Responsibilities
- Screen, evaluate, diagnose, manage medications, and provide disease counseling.
- Acute and chronic outpatient care of patients with headache disorders including preventive and abortive options.
- First contact for clinician level patient communications.
- Collaborate in team-based care to inform patient decisions.
- Educate and mentor nursing staff, APPs, students, residents, and fellows.
- Deliver headache-focused procedures such as nerve blocks and Botox injections.
- Monitor treatment response and adjust plans as needed.
- Maintain accurate clinical documentation and coordinate with referring providers.
- Support departmental and program quality improvement initiatives.
- Participate in ongoing clinical education and quality improvement activities.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
The Department of Neurology has an ongoing need for Advanced Practice Providers (Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Clinical Nurse Specialist) with strong values and unique skills for our Headache Section. This is an outpatient position, providing direct care to our patients with chronic migraine, and other primary and secondary patients, including those associated with low or high cerebrospinal fluid pressure. The APP engages closely with colleagues across the Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Hospital, and other satellite locations. This position will provide both acute and chronic direct outpatient care for neurologic patients, including performing office procedures like nerve blocks and Botox injections. Successful candidates will have a proven record of accomplishment in supporting the needs of patients, developing differential diagnoses, and prescribing treatments in collaboration with other specialties. We are seeking individuals who are collaborative, communicative, proactive, caring, detail-oriented, reliable, organized, able to think critically, focused on quality, and dedicated to personal growth.
- Screen, evaluate, diagnose, manage medications, and provide disease counseling.
- Acute and chronic outpatient care of patients with headache disorders including preventive and abortive treatment options.
- Serves as first contact for clinician level patient communications
- Engages in collaborative team-based care to make informed decisions for patient care.
- Support and engage in continual learning and development among nursing staff, advance practice providers, pharmacy staff, medical students, and neurology residents, and headache fellows.
- Periodic educational presentation of lectures to patients and others
- Provide comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and longitudinal management of patients with a range of primary and secondary headache disorders, including migraine, cluster headache and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, tension-type headache, medication-overuse headache, and other headache syndromes.
- Obtain detailed headache histories, perform focused neurologic examinations, and develop individualized evidence-based diagnostic and treatment plans.
- Manage acute and preventive headache therapies, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment approaches.
- Counsel patients regarding lifestyle factors and behavioral strategies that may influence headache frequency and severity, including sleep, exercise, nutrition, hydration, stress management, and medication use.
- Perform headache-related procedures within scope of practice and credentialing, which may include onabotulinumtoxinA injections, peripheral nerve blocks, trigger point injections.
- Monitor treatment response, adverse effects, and disease progression and adjust treatment plans accordingly.
- Evaluate and appropriately triage patients with potential secondary headache disorders.
- Collaborate closely with headache neurologists, physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and other members of the multidisciplinary headache team.
- Participate in shared decision-making and provide education regarding headache diagnoses, treatment options, prognosis, and expectations to patients.
- Contribute to the education and mentorship of APP students, medical students, residents, fellows, and other learners as appropriate.
- Participate in clinical quality improvement, program development, and initiatives to improve access, efficiency, patient experience, and quality of headache care.
- Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation and communicate effectively with patients and referring providers.
- Participate in departmental and institutional activities that support the clinical, educational, and academic missions of the Headache Medicine program.
Onsite - this role is expected to work onsite and is located in Aurora, CO.
The position is located at the Anschutz Medical Campus. The hours will vary depending on clinical schedules and department/hospital needs (some weekends and holidays) - will be determined at time of offer. The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a public education, clinical and research facility serving 4,500 students, and a world-class medical destination at the forefront of life-changing science, medicine and healthcare. CU Anschutz offers more than 42 highly rated degree programs through 6 schools and colleges, supported by $704 million in research awards in fiscal year 2023, creating an overall economic impact to the state of Colorado of $11.5 billion. We are the single largest health professions education provider in Colorado, awarding nearly 1,450 degrees annually. Powered by our award-winning faculty, renowned researchers and a reputation for academic excellence, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus drives innovation from the classroom to the laboratory to the delivery of unparalleled patient care.
We have AMAZING benefits and offerexceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:
- Medical: Multiple plan options
- Dental: Multiple plan options
- Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
- Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
- Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year (based on percentage of time)
- Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
- Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
- Holiday Days: 11/year
- Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
- ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service
There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.
Minimum Qualifications:
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.
- Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Clinical Nurse Specialist Degree
- License to practice in Colorado or ability to obtain a license to practice in Colorado
- Experience and desire to work with patients with chronic, and sometimes severe illness
- Experience completing documentation and performing tasks routinely assigned in medical settings using complex electronic record systems
- Two (2) years working with neurological patients and/or experience with inpatient care or chronic pain patients
- Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Clinical Nurse Specialist Degree
- License to practice in Colorado or ability to obtain a license to practice in Colorado
- Experience and desire to work with patients with chronic, and sometimes severe illness
- Experience completing documentation and performing tasks routinely assigned in medical settings using complex electronic record systems
- Two (2) years working with neurological patients and/or experience with inpatient care or chronic pain patients
- Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Clinical Nurse Specialist Degree
- License to practice in Colorado or ability to obtain a license to practice in Colorado
- Experience and desire to work with patients with chronic, and sometimes severe illness
- Experience completing documentation and performing tasks routinely assigned in medical settings using complex electronic record systems
- Two (2) years working with neurological patients
- Significant experience with General neurological patients, especially Headache and other Pain patients, and/or experience in management of chronic diseases in a subspecialty environment.
- Experience in primary care medicine is desirable as well as experience in management of mood disorders, including depression and anxiety.
- Experience with clinical education, quality improvement, research, advocacy, or professional society involvement.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with patients, families, colleagues, trainees, and referring providers.
- Being respectful of patient rights and putting patient safety first,
- Building patient rapport
- A positive, motivated, engaged, and caring attitude
- Great attention to detail and quality
- Ability to work with colleagues and patients in a confidential and professional manner
- Follow best practices in research (ICH guidelines, GCP, FDA guidelines)
- Good documentation practices
- Dedication to professional development and life-long learning
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage a complex clinical workload.
- Proficiency in performing headache-related procedures or demonstrated ability and willingness to develop procedural competency.
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team while also practicing independently within established scope.
- Ability to be adaptable and flexible.
- Experience with web-based tracking systems and Microsoft Office suite (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access).
- Schedule: Full-time
- Primary Location: Aurora
- Posting Date: Oct 12, 2026
- Unposting Date: Ongoing
- Position Number: 00853270
Instructor: $105,000 to $115,000
Sr. Instructor: $110,000 to $125,000
The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position is not eligible for overtime compensation unless it is non-exempt.
Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.
Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125
The University of Colorado (CU) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@ucdenver.edu.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.
CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
