Critical Care APP (NP or PA) – Surgical ICU (SICU)

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Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization

• VUH
• Advanced
• Practice
• Provider
• Job
• Summary: The SICU Critical Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) works in collaboration with a multidisciplinary health care team. The Critical Care NP or Critical Care PA provides healthcare in critical care settings, including Surgical ICU. The NP has didactic education, clinical competency and national certification in identified area of clinical practice. The NP demonstrates medical knowledge, clinical judgment, technical competence, professionalism, interpersonal communication skills, timely and compliant documentation, and is responsible for professional development and competency validation. The NP has an advanced knowledge of nursing theory and application.

Preferred

1+ year experience as an AGACNP, ACNP, or Physician Assistant in a Surgical ICU (SICU) or Critical Care environment. .

About the Role

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is seeking a Critical Care Advanced Practice Provider (NP or PA) to join our Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) team. The SICU cares for critically ill adults recovering from complex surgical procedures, including trauma, liver transplant, vascular surgery, emergency general surgery, thoracic surgery, surgical oncology, orthopedics, and obstetric surgical cases. As an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) in our Surgical ICU, you will provide comprehensive assessment, clinical decision‑making, bedside procedures, and ongoing management of critically ill surgical patients. Key Responsibilities Perform comprehensive assessments and daily evaluations of SICU patients. Order, interpret, and act on diagnostic tests in collaboration with the multidisciplinary Critical Care team. Manage acute and complex postoperative conditions within a high‑acuity ICU setting. Perform bedside procedures appropriate to APP training/scope. Collaborate with intensivists, surgeons, residents, pharmacists, and nursing teams. Participate in SICU quality improvement, evidence‑based practice, and continuing clinical education. Required Qualifications NP: Adult‑Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) or Acute Care NP (ACNP). PA: Graduation from ARC‑PA accredited program + national certification. 1+ year of experience in Critical Care, ICU, or SICU preferred. Current Tennessee licensure (or eligibility). About the SICU at Vanderbilt Our SICU is a dynamic 23‑bed unit serving a broad surgical population. APPs partner closely with surgical intensivists to manage critically ill postoperative patients and trauma cases. Providers value the diverse caseload, advanced procedures, and collaborative culture. Shift Information Nights (3 shifts/week) Weekend & holiday rotation as required Relocation available for candidates over 100+ miles from Nashville, TN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) / Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) or Physician Assistant (PA) Required 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. TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES 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. 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. 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 evidences to improve advanced practice. Integrates knowledge from the humanities and sciences within the context of nursing science. 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. Employs 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. Health Systems and Policy Management (Advanced): Demonstrates sufficient fundamental proficiency in behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in 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. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members. Core Capabilities : Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements. Position Qualifications: Responsibilities: Certifications: LIC-Licensed Nurse Practitioner - TennesseeTennessee Work Experience: Relevant Work Experience Experience Level: Less than 1 year Education: Master's Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled. PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO. Our vision: The world leader in advancing personalized health. Our mission: personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities. Making Health Care Personal. We’re looking for like-minded individuals driven to make a difference. We invite you to explore careers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. At VUMC, we place a priority on designing with and for our patients and families. We value collaboration, embrace continuous learning and discovery, and seek to be a place where everyone has the chance to thrive. We’re the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee, with a growing team and expanding footprint in towns and communities across the region. We employ more than 28,000 people who work in inpatient and outpatient clinical care, research, and graduate medical education as well as critical supporting roles in administration, information technology and informatics, finance, legal and community affairs, communications and marketing, fund-raising, groundskeeping and facilities, and many more. Our growing health system has more than 1,700 licensed hospital beds at: Vanderbilt University Hospital Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital It’s also home to hundreds of outpatient clinic and surgical locations throughout the region. We serve our community with many unique and specialized services including the Level 1 Trauma Center, a highly experienced Transplant Center that does the most heart transplants in the world, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Lung Institute, Burn Center and many more. World-leading academic departments and centers make scientific discoveries, advance clinical care and train the next generation of health care professionals. Our robust research enterprise consistently ranks among the highest in the country as measured by peer-reviewed grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. We’re honored to be consistently considered among the nation’s best hospitals, including being nationally ranked in multiple medical specialties for treating the most complex conditions in adults and children by US News and World Report. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt ranked as the No. 1 children’s hospital in the southeast in 2024. We support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at VUMC for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose. Join us in Making Health Care Personal.