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Kaiser Permanente
Bakersfield, California

Nurse Practitioner / Physician Assistant - Pain Management, Per Diem (Bakersfield)

Nurse PractitionerPer Diem Physician-Supervised State

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Physician Assistants (PA) provide health care services to patients who may have acute episodic conditions or chronic problems, as well as those seeking health evaluation, preventive care and/or education and counseling.

Under physician supervision, PAs provide care in areas within KP in primary care or specialty departments consistent with their educational preparation following the Regional Practice Guidelines and Protocols for Ambulatory and Hospital-Based Practice.

They perform complete physical examinations, including ordering, interpreting and evaluating diagnostic tests and examinations. Assume on-going responsibility for each patient from discovery of the disorder to recovery.

Diagnose and treat both chronic and episodic disorders including complications of otherwise normal processes. Establish and document the health care plan and diagnosis, maintain records of each case that are sufficiently complete for any physician reviewing them to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan.

Consistently demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors necessary to provide superior and culturally sensitive service to each other, to our members and to customers, contracted providers and vendors.

Essential Responsibilities

  • Collect subjective data (obtain history).
  • Collect objective data (perform a physical exam).
  • Develop an assessment (diagnosis).
  • Develop and implement a management plan.
  • Facilitate the referral of patients to the appropriate health facilities, agencies and resources within the community.
  • Order pharmacologic interventions.
  • Develop and implement an educational plan.
  • Plan for appropriate follow-up care.

Consistently supports compliance and the Principles of Responsibility (Kaiser Permanentes Code of Conduct) by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the organization, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non-compliance, and adhering to applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, accreditation and licenser requirements (if applicable), and Kaiser Permanentes policies and procedures.

Basic Qualifications

Experience

Minimum one (1) year experience, unless specified by department, as an NP or PA.

For Physician Assistants, Physician Assistant National Certificate from National Commission for the Certification of Physician Assistants required at time of hire. Need not be maintained.

Education

  • Graduate of an approved Physician Assistant Program OR graduate of an accredited RN and NP Program.
  • NP Only: Masters degree in nursing (effective 1/1/03 for those not previously grandfathered in by CMS)
  • License, Certification, Registration
  • Nurse Practitioner Furnishing Number (California) AND Nurse Practitioner National Certificate AND Registered Nurse License (California) AND Nurse Practitioner Certificate (California)
  • OR
  • Physician Assistant License (California)
  • National Provider Identifier
  • Basic Life Support

Additional Requirements

  • Willing to consider Nurse Practitioner job code 50158
  • If department elects to hire a new grad NP or PA, the California Furnishing Number and if applicable, the DEA Registration Number, must be obtained within twelve (12) months of hire.
  • The probationary period would also be extended from six (6) to twelve (12) months.
  • Current DEA Registration Number

Preferred Qualifications

Bilingual Preferred

Key Responsibilities

The Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant will perform physical examinations, order diagnostic tests, and develop comprehensive management plans for patients with chronic or episodic conditions. They are responsible for documenting health care plans, providing patient education, and facilitating referrals within the community under physician supervision.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a valid Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner license in California and possess a national certification. A minimum of one year of experience is required, along with a graduate degree from an accredited program.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Certifications

BLSDEA License

Key Skills

Physical examinationDiagnostic testingPatient assessmentTreatment planningPharmacologic interventionPain managementClinical documentationMedical record maintenanceRegulatory complianceCulturally sensitive care

Pain Medicine — Nurse Practitioner Career Context

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Pain Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 30% are remote, 52% have no call, 56% require no weekends.

Pain Medicine pay on WeekdayDoc is up 17.6% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top contract/1099 Nurse Practitioner Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution50 jobs · 40 employers

24
<$205k
7
$205k-225k
8
$225k-245k
7
$245k-265k
4
$265k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks29 jobs

401k / retirement match
90%
CME allowance
55%
Sign-on bonus
45%
Loan repayment
10%
Relocation assistance
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Locum Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (NP)

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+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.4this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Pain Medicine (NP) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 104 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Bakersfield

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$357k
Typical market rent
$1,858/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.