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UW Health
Madison, Wisconsin

Nurse Practitioner / Physician Assistant – Cardiac Surgery

Physician AssistantIncludes callNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$152k-$213k

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 2mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Work Schedule: 100% FTE, Monday through Friday, variable hours between 7:00 am - 5:00 pm, weekend/call 1:7.

Be part of something remarkable

As an Advanced Practice Provider, you'll play an integral role in our inpatient and ambulatory care teams by providing high-quality, cost-effective care to patients.

We are seeking a Nurse Practitioner OR Physician Assistant to:

  • Provide comprehensive care to adult cardiac surgery patients in an outpatient, inpatient, and OR setting.
  • Collaborate with attending or consulting team to adjust plans of care.
  • Assist in the clinic with cardiac surgeons.
  • Perform procedures as cardiac surgery first assist and endoscopic vein harvest.
  • Provide surgical expertise at the bedside for Robotic Thoracic Surgery cases

Education

  • If Nurse Practitioner: Master’s or Doctorate’s degree from accredited Nursing Program.
  • If Physician Assistant: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from accredited PA Program.

Licenses and Certifications

  • Minimum – State of Wisconsin NP or PA licensure

If Nurse Practitioner*

  • Active RN and APRN certifications and licenses, including prescriptive authority, in state(s) of practice AND
  • Active board certification as a NP in area of clinical practice. These may include the following: Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Adult and RN First Assist.

If Physician Assistant*

  • Active PA license, including prescriptive authority, in state(s) of practice AND
  • Active PA board certification

All Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant applicants must have*:

  • Active DEA license or ability to apply for such license prior to or upon hire

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

UW Health is committed to being a diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist workplace and is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer.

Our integrity shines through in patient care interactions and our daily work practices as we work to embrace the knowledge, unique perspectives and qualities each employee and faculty member brings to work each day. Applications from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, LGBTQ+ and non-binary identities, women, persons with disabilities, military service members and veterans are strongly encouraged. EOE, including disability/veterans.

University Hospital in Madison is a Magnet®-designated facility that’s ranked Wisconsin’s #1 hospital and considered one of the nation's leading hospitals, teaching institutions and referral centers.

View Full Job Description

UW Medical Foundation benefits

Key Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive care to adult cardiac surgery patients across outpatient, inpatient, and operating room settings. Collaborate with the surgical team to develop care plans and perform procedures such as endoscopic vein harvest and robotic thoracic surgery assistance.

Requirements

Requires a Master’s or Doctorate degree for Nurse Practitioners or a Bachelor’s/Master’s degree for Physician Assistants from an accredited program. Must hold active state licensure, board certification in the relevant clinical area, and a DEA license.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Inpatient carePatient assessmentClinical collaborationSurgical assistance

Surgery — Physician Assistant Career Context

Of the 50 active Surgery listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 82% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

Surgery pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Wisconsin is 94.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$182k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $194k in an average-cost state. 60.7% of Wisconsin clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Physician Assistant Jobs

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution29 jobs · 20 employers

10
<$140k
5
$140k-165k
9
$165k-190k
3
$190k-215k
2
$215k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs · 20 employers

401k / retirement match
78%
Sign-on bonus
70%
CME allowance
67% this job
Loan repayment
15%
Relocation assistance
11%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Advanced Practice Provider - Behavioral Health

Sentara Health · Newport News, Virginia

$101k-$312k
#2

Clinic Director - Physician Assistant (PA-C) or Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Ageless Mens Health · Reno, Nevada

$250k
#3

Physician Assistant- Dr. Fealy

$195k-$212k
#4

Pain Management Physician Assistant

$171k-$198k
+ 27 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.1this job 5.1
Better work-life than 70% of Surgery (PA) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 371 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
  • Includes call

Living in Madison

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$433k≈ 2.9× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,616/mo≈ 13% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.3
State income tax
Up to 7.7%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Madison, WI metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

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About UW Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Madison, WI
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health insurance
Dental
Vision
Retirement
Paid time off
CME allowance
Malpractice coverage