Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner-FA27

Job title: Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner - Fall 2027 Voyage

Reports to: Executive Dean(ship) and Health Services Coordinator(ISE Home Office)

Assignment type: Temporary, full-time

Location

Shipboard position. Sailing on the MV World Odyssey, embarking on or around September 6, 2027, and disembarking on or around December 22, 2027. Itineraries are always subject to a variety of changes, both major and minor, before and during the voyage. Please reference semesteratsea.org for the most updated itinerary.

Organization Description

Established in 1963, the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) is a 501(c) non-profit organization. In collaboration with academic partner Colorado State University, ISE delivers the Semester at Sea® program, one of the longest operating higher education study abroad programs.

Semester at Sea® provides its students a global comparative education through classroom and experiential learning in the field. The Semester at Sea® floating campus, the MV World Odyssey, carries around 550 students plus faculty, staff, and others.

The duration of the semester voyage is typically 105 days, including visits to 8-10 countries. ISE conducts two semester voyages annually. See semesteratsea.org for more information.

Organization Mission

Journeys of discovery that spark bold solutions to global challenges

Voyage Community Values

Well-being | Interconnectedness | Respect | Inclusion | Integrity | Excellence

Voyage Learning Outcomes

Personal Journey | Journey in Human Community | Journey on Planet Earth | Lifelong Learning

Position Description

The Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner works closely with the Physician to plan, coordinate, and evaluate total patient care for voyage participants. The Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner reports to the Executive Dean and is a member of the Health Team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The individual in this position must be able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation:

Prior to the Voyage

• Attends an in-person Health Team orientation in Fort Collins, CO

• Participates in monthly online Health Team meetings and training sessions

During the Voyage

• Together with the Crew Medical team, provides two daily clinics for participants

• Serves on a rotating on-call for situations that need attention and must be able to practice independently when on-call

• Participates as a member of the shipboard emergency response team

• Presents educational information to participants regarding in-country health issues

• Works collaboratively with the ship medical personnel (physician and two nurses)

• Works collaboratively with the supervising physician and the ISE Medical and Mental Health Consultants

Requirements

• Be available for a full semester assignment

• Have valid U.S. work authorization

• Have or be able to obtain a valid passport and required visas, as well as any vaccinations as directed by a health care provider or required by the program; this applies to the faculty/staff member and any accompanying companions

• Passports must be valid for 6 months post voyage

• It is recommended that U.S. passport holders have no fewer than 15 blank passport pages

• Be able to successfully pass a background check

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• Support the mission of ISE; reflecting ISE values, candidates are expected to have a demonstrated ability to advance the SAS commitment to support diverse and inclusive community-building

• 5+ years of recent active practice as a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant in Family Practice, Emergency Medicine, or Internal Medicine/Pediatrics

• Wide range of diagnostic and treatment experience with both adults and children

• Ability to perform minor emergency service

• Experience in at least one of the following areas: college student health, intensive/acute care, emergency medicine, urgent care

• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing or Physician Assistant Program and licensed to practice in the United States or Canada

• Current ACLS required

• NOTE: Verification of current license and current ACLS certification will be required for appointment

• Current or previous certification in ATLS required

• Flexibility and ability to complete tasks efficiently is essential

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the capacity to relate effectively with program constituents

• Must be detail-oriented, with the ability to balance multiple priorities in a complex and dynamic environment

• Ability to exercise good judgment on a range of issues and ability to handle emergencies

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Training and/or participation in diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives

• Experience practicing emergency medicine/family medicine/urgent care in remote areas

• Knowledge of or experience in tropical medicine/travel medicine

Working Conditions

• Initial Adjustment: Shipboard life can be stressful for some voyage participants, particularly those with anxiety issues and those who require a longer period of acclimation to highly stimulating and fast-paced environments

• Environment: This job position requires work performed on a moving ship with narrow doorways and tight, enclosed quarters. There may be odors or noise. The temperature on the ship can be cool or warm, depending on many variables. There may be periods of rough seas, making it harder to move on the ship.

• Health: A health team (physician, PA/NP, counselors) is available on the ship. The medical capabilities while at sea are focused on urgent care and temporary stabilization of emergency medical and mental health conditions using basic medical supplies and equipment with a limited formulary. Very limited medications may be available; voyagers are expected to bring sufficient current medications for the entire voyage. In some regions, there may be no access to emergency evacuation. While in port, local healthcare system resources are utilized, which can vary widely in capabilities. Counseling services typically focus on short-term, solution-oriented interventions to address situational issues. Owing to the unique semester schedule divided between port and sea days, counselors cannot meet with voyage participants on the equivalent of a week-to-week basis. Extended psychological or psychiatric services are not available on the ship and are limited in quantity and quality in different ports. Voyagers who present a risk to themselves or others will likely be required to leave the ship to receive more extended and appropriate care, as this cannot be provided on the ship.

• Sea Conditions: It is not uncommon for participants to experience sea-related conditions, including but not limited to loss of balance and potential risk of falls; seasickness; vertigo; nausea; and difficulty concentrating

• Accessibility and Accommodation: On the vessel, elevators may not always be accessible. There is a limited number of wheelchair-accessible cabins. Some field programs/classes may not be accessible to those with physical disabilities. Depending on the port facilities, tides affecting the gangway, and weather, those with physical disabilities may not always be able to disembark the ship

• Privacy: Faculty and staff can expect to be in the company of students, lifelong learners, and dependent children when in public areas on the ship. Overall, privacy is very limited aboard the vessel.

• Food & Dining: It may not be possible for the ship to accommodate certain dietary restrictions onboard or in the field. Dining is limited to brief windows of time & facilities are typically busy.

• Time Frame: There are over 100 days of travel on a 700+ passenger ship. The 100 days are divided between time at sea and time on land in foreign ports. There may be voyage segments that include long stretches at sea. Classes are held nearly every day at sea; there are no regular ‘weekend’ breaks.

• Field Program: Travel and sometimes significant walking are required for Field Programs/Classes. Field programs are optional, fee-based in-country experiences organized by ISE available to all voyagers. Field classes are led by faculty members and are required, eight-hour, in-country components of each course. They account for 20% of each student’s grade in that course.

Physical Demands of the Job

• Computer work is required

• Extended walking and standing, sometimes on uneven surfaces, is required

• Lifting/carrying/bending/moving objects up to 25 lbs.

• Climbing stairs to embark and disembark the ship, in the port terminal, and in-country may be required

Malpractice Insurance

• The Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner will be covered under Semester at Sea’s medical malpractice insurance policy and will be added as an additional insured under Semester at Sea’s general liability insurance policy

Compensation

• Stipend of $10,000, paid in three equal installments during the voyage;

• Travel assistance to help defray the cost of travel to and from the ship. More information to be provided once embarkation details are confirmed;

• The opportunity to request to sail with an adult companion and dependent children/teenagers (5 years old+) for an additional fee. Note that requests for companions and dependent children/teenagers are subject to availability and contingent upon health, safety, and capacity regulations.

• Opportunity to apply to be a Trip Liaison (a faculty or staff member who works with providers on our field programs to ensure expectations are carried out by the providers as planned, to serve as a point of contact for field program participants, and to evaluate and respond to any health or safety issues while on the field program), and receive ISE in-country field programs for a free or reduced price;

• Passage, room, and board o