Nurse Practitioner NP / Physician Assistant PA Trauma ICU

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Organization

VUH Advanced Practice Provider

Job Summary

The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) is an integral member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, delivering expert care in the Critical Care setting.

This role involves managing high-acuity intensive care unit (ICU) patients with unstable conditions who require intensive oversight, frequent rounding, and specialized care. Patients may include those in medical and surgical ICUs with complex needs requiring advanced interventions.

The APP is responsible for managing complex conditions while ensuring delivery of safe, high-quality care. This role requires advanced medical knowledge, clinical judgment, technical proficiency, professionalism, and excellent interpersonal communication skills.

The APP is also accountable for timely and compliant documentation, ongoing professional development, and competency validation. With a strong foundation of medical knowledge, the APP combines evidence-based practice with clinical expertise to meet the unique needs of critical care patients..

Department Summary

The Trauma ICU APP is the constant presence in the patient’s and family’s journey through what is often the toughest days and weeks of a person’s life. The Trauma ICU APP excels in critical care skills and management throughout the continuum of care.

They are energetic and effective in the multidisciplinary team and are the glue that binds the team together with the goal of progressing a trauma patient’s care forward.

They are the ear that listens and guides families throughout the fear, uncertainty, anger, and stress following the unique challenges of traumatic illness. They are committed to excellence in education, evidence-based practice, and continually strive for growth. They emulate power and purpose and believe in the unsurpassable strength of the TEAM.

Position Hours

• Night shifts in the Trauma ICU
• 3 shifts per week, rotating weekends and holidays

Requirements

• TN license to practice as a Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant
• ACNP or AGACNP certified for Nurse Practitioner
• PA Certified for Physician Assistant
• Experience in the surgical/trauma or related ICU preferred
• New Grad PAs must have clinical experience in related ICU KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Obtains and documents a health history; performs and documents complete, system-focused, or symptom-specific physical examination, assessment and plan of care.

In collaboration, provides healthcare services for primary, acute and complex care of patients and manages patient's overall care, identifying expected outcomes for diagnoses.

Orders, performs, interprets and collects data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant supporting diagnostic information and diagnostic procedures where indicated.

Forms differential diagnoses and treats acute and chronic conditions.

Prescribes therapeutic interventions both pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic and surgical, needed to achieve expected outcomes.

• Utilizes evidence-based, approved practice protocols in planning and implementing care;
• Initiates appropriate referrals and consultations;
• Provides specialty specific consultation services upon request and within specialty scope of practice;

Facilitates the patient’s transition between and within health care settings, such as admitting, transferring, and discharging patients.

Key Responsibilities

Obtains and documents a health history; performs and documents complete, system-focused, or symptom-specific physical examination, assessment and plan of care.

In collaboration, provides healthcare services for primary, acute and complex care of patients and manages patients’ overall care, identifying expected outcomes for diagnoses.

Orders, performs, interprets and collects data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant supporting diagnostic information and diagnostic procedures where indicated.

• Forms differential diagnoses and treats acute and chronic conditions.
• Prescribes therapeutic interventions for both pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic and surgical, needed to achieve expected outcomes.
• Utilizes evidence-based, approved practice protocols in planning and implementing care.

Initiates Appropriate Referrals and Consultations

• Provides specialty specific consultation services upon request and within a specialty scope of practice.
• Facilitates the patient’s transition between and within health care settings, such as admitting, transferring, and discharging patients.
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

Technical Capabilities

Health Systems and Policy Management (Advanced): Demonstrates sufficient fundamental proficiency in behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, an understanding and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.

Patient and Family Centered Care (Advanced): Demonstrates care that is compassionate, appropriate and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease and care at the end of life. Within scope of licensure and certification, manages previously diagnosed and undiagnosed patients.

Uses health assessment skills to differentiate between normal, variations of normal, and abnormal findings. Employes screening and diagnostic strategies in the development of diagnoses. Prescribes medications within scope of practice.

Manages health/illness status of patients and families over time and across the continuum. Provides patient/centered care recognizing the patient or designee as a full partner in decision making.

Creates a climate of patient/centered care to include confidentiality privacy, comfort emotional support, mutual trust, and respect. Incorporates cultural and spiritual preferences, values and beliefs into health care.

Preserves the patient’s control over decision making by negotiating a mutually acceptable plan of care. Integrates ethical principles into decision making. Uses electronic health record to capture data on variables for the evaluation and management of patient care. Clearly documents findings, assessment and plan of care.

Clinical Knowledge and Practice (Advanced): Demonstrates established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others. Demonstrates knowledge of population focus but also other sciences that support his/her field of practice.

Demonstrates knowledge of common and important health issues affecting society and other societies around the globe. Demonstrates commitment in maintaining current evidence-based knowledge through continuous learning.

Educates patients, families, students and other members of the healthcare team in clinical topics and application of clinical knowledge.

Practice-Based Scholarly Inquiry and Integration (Advanced): Demonstrates the use of scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate and improve patient care practices. Anticipates variations in practice and is proactive in implementing interventions to improve quality.

Uses best available evidence to continuously improve quality of clinical practice. Generates knowledge from clinical practice to improve practice and patient outcomes. Reviews data and evidence to improve advanced practice. Integrates knowledge from the humanities and sciences within the context of nursing science.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills (Advanced): Demonstrates interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of health care teams. Communicates practice knowledge effectively both orally and in writing.

Professionalism (Advanced): Demonstrates behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in medical center committees, professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.

Our Nursing Philosophy

We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s mission of quality in patient care, education and research. We believe nursing is an applied art and science focused on helping people, families and communities reach excellent health and well-being.

As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center employee, you make a difference to our patients and their families by bringing compassion and care to those in need of hope and healing. Please see our current employee benefits offered:

• Affordable High Quality Health Plan Options
• Dental and /or vision plan
• 403 (b) retirement plan
• Paid Time off (flex PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied)
• Short-Long term disability

Subsidized Backup Childcare

And many more... Ask us about our current inpatient nursing supplemental Pay Program!

Achieve the Remarkable

Learn more about VUMC Nursing here.

Core Accountabilities

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance.