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Sanford Health
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

APP - Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant | Cardiothoracic Surgery

Nurse Practitioner Above average in Surgery (NP)No nightsFull-Time Full Practice Authority

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency4 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the pay range and the work setting.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Includes call
Weekends
Includes weekends
Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Work Shift

8 Hours - Day Shifts (United States of America)

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Compensation

  • Union Position:
  • No
  • Department Details
  • The 4th APP will be utilized to provide practice wide support in the following ways:

First Assist to all three surgeons in a variety of surgical cases including coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG), valve repair and replacements, aneurysm repairs, thoracic surgery, and more.

Learning the necessary skills for endoscopic vein and endoscopic radial artery harvesting for use in CABG.

In addition to the OR, APPs in the practice provide care for operative patients preoperatively and postoperatively including ICU and inpatient management.

Clinic responsibilities to include post-operative appointments as well as new patient consults.

Consult responsibilities include outpatient and inpatient surgical consults in conjunction with the surgeon.

Provide clerical support for the practice in the office (e. g.: in basket messages, phone calls, scheduling, medical leave paperwork)

After completion of orientation, APP on call days include one to two days per week, one in four weekends per month and possible holiday coverage. Hours are 6:00-4:30 pm but will vary on clinical responsibilities assigned day to day.

This position offers the opportunity to work with a tight knit group of APPs and surgeons, learn a skillset that is unique to cardiothoracic surgery and rare among practicing APPs. Additionally, this career offers excellent work life balance unique to other areas.

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner will be required

Summary

The Physician Assistant (PA) is a licensed medical professional who practices medicine in collaboration with physicians and other care team members. The PA evaluates, diagnoses, and manages patient health concerns across the lifespan, provides preventive services, and coordinates care to promote optimal health outcomes. This position also provides on-call coverage outside of regularly scheduled hours.

Job Description

Completion of a Physician Assistant program accredited by the ARC-PA or equivalent accrediting program accepted by the state licensing board.

Clinical experience in specialty area is preferred but not required.

Current licensure as a Physician Assistant in each state of practice.

Current Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) permit to prescribe controlled substances in each state of practice.

State Controlled Substance License (if required by State)

Current certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

Privileging documents and related credentialing requirements will supersede this job description in defining minimum qualifications, criteria, and scope of practice, if variation between documents exists

Qualifications

Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-949-5678 or send an email to talent@sanfordhealth.org.

Key Responsibilities

The APP will serve as a first assistant in cardiothoracic surgical procedures and manage operative patients in both ICU and inpatient settings. Additionally, the role involves conducting new patient consults and providing post-operative follow-up care in a clinic environment.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Aneurysm repairEndoscopic vein harvestingICU managementPatient consultationPost-operative carePreoperative careClinical documentation

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates APP - Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant | Cardiothoracic Surgery at Sanford Health a 6.1 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Surgery (NP) — ranked against 296 active Surgery (NP) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no night shifts.

Surgery — Nurse Practitioner Career Context

Of the 50 active Surgery listings this role was benchmarked against, 24% are remote, 44% have no call, 54% require no weekends.

Surgery pay on WeekdayDoc is up 13.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for South Dakota is 88.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Nurse Practitioner Jobs

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Salary Distribution33 jobs · 21 employers

8
<$140k
6
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11
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4
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4
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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks32 jobs · 21 employers

401k / retirement match
97%
CME allowance
53%
Sign-on bonus
34%
Loan repayment
19%
PSLF eligible
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Physician Assistant (PA) or Nurse Practitioner (NP)

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$95/hr
#3

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Work-life snapshot

6.1/ 10
Listing-based score

Above average in Surgery (NP)

  • No nights
  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Sioux Falls

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$304k
Typical market rent
$1,302/mo
Residents’ average commute
17 min
State income tax
None
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.

Sanford Health logo

About Sanford Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Sioux Falls, SD
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Collaborative Practice Agreement Required
Excellent work-life balance
Tight knit group of APPs and surgeons