Advanced Practice Fellow - Pediatric Cardiology

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) operates at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care. It is a community where expertise is valued, knowledge is expanded, and abilities are challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and uniqueness is celebrated.

About the role

The Advanced Practice Fellow works in collaboration with and is an integral member of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. This 12-month postgraduate structured fellowship provides immersive training in both inpatient and ambulatory areas of pediatric cardiology, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, and pediatric cardiac critical care through a comprehensive, mentored learning experience.

The fellowship runs from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2027, and focuses on developing specialty-specific clinical and critical thinking skills to promote top-of-license practice. Fellows will engage in collaborative interdisciplinary care, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement processes, including completion of a specialty-relevant project.

Why Choose the Pediatric Heart Institute APP Fellowship?

• Specialized Clinical Training: Gain experience across all areas of the pediatric heart institute, including pediatric cardiology, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, and pediatric cardiac ICU, with additional exposure to subspecialties such as pediatric heart failure/transplant, single-ventricle team, cath lab, and pediatric cardiac imaging.
• Expert Mentorship: Work alongside experienced APPs, physicians, and multidisciplinary team members dedicated to your professional growth and development.
• Structured Fellowship Curriculum: Participate in didactic education, simulation training, procedural learning, case reviews, and evidence-based practice experiences designed specifically for APP fellows.
• Progressive Clinical Responsibility: Build confidence and autonomy through a graduated training experience with individualized support and competency-based milestones.
• Leadership & Professional Development: Explore opportunities in quality improvement, research, education, committee involvement, and professional conference participation.
• Nationally Recognized Heart Program: Train within a leading pediatric cardiac center committed to innovation, excellence, and outstanding patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Assessment of Health Status:
  • Performs and documents a complete history and physical examination in the medical record.
  • Orders and collects data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant supporting diagnostic information, and diagnostic procedures.
  • Assesses risks associated with care, including medication side effects, immobility, impaired nutrition, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, immunocompetence, invasive interventions, and diagnostic procedures.
  • Participates in daily huddles or rounds with the interdisciplinary team and actively collaborates in formulating and evaluating the ongoing plan of care across the continuum.
• Diagnosis:
  • Collaborates with the interdisciplinary healthcare team in making accurate diagnoses of acute and complex chronic conditions.
  • Manages diagnostic tests through ordering, interpretation, performance, and supervision.
  • Formulates differential diagnoses by priority and identifies appropriate interventions for complications.
• Formulates Plan of Care:
  • Identifies expected outcomes from diagnosis and formulates a plan of care to address acute and complex, chronic healthcare needs.
  • Utilizes evidence-based practice guidelines or protocols in an individualized, dynamic plan of care applicable across the continuum.
  • Implements and modifies the plan of care by prescribing diagnostic strategies and therapeutic interventions (pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic, and surgical as needed).
  • Manages further diagnostic tests through ordering, performance, and interpretation.
  • May perform advanced procedures consistent with privileges and competency validation.
• Communication and Collaboration:
  • Maintains ongoing communication and collaboration with the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
  • Facilitates communication with patients, families, and staff to promote continuity of care across inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Documentation:
  • Documents key components of patient progress via daily progress notes, transfer and discharge summaries, and/or clinic notes where applicable.
  • Ensures documentation is timely, meets compliance standards, and accurately captures patient acuity and complexity.
• Professional Practice:
  • Provides preceptor/mentoring, education, and instruction to students and nursing staff as needed.
  • Seeks opportunities for active engagement in research and analysis of evidence-based practice.
  • Attends Grand Rounds, AP Council meetings, faculty and unit meetings, MM & I presentations, and other educational opportunities.
  • Maintains continuing education to meet licensure and certification requirements.
  • Actively participates in the required professional development fellowship curriculum.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Nursing or Physician Assistant studies.
• National Board Certification as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Acute Care (PNCB-AC) or Physician Assistant (PA).
• TN License/Certificate of Fitness to prescribe, eligible for NPI and DEA.
• Interest in Pediatric Cardiac Care.

Benefits

• Affordable, high-quality health plan options.
• Dental and/or vision plans.
• 403(b) retirement plan.
• Paid Time Off (flex PTO).
• Tuition reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied).
• Short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Subsidized backup childcare.
• Inpatient nursing supplemental pay program.

Core Accountabilities

• Organizational Impact: Delivers job responsibilities that impact own job area/team with some guidance.
• Problem Solving/Complexity of Work: Uses existing procedures, research, and analysis to solve standard job-related problems that may require some judgment.
• Breadth of Knowledge: Requires subject matter knowledge within a professional area to meet job requirements.
• Team Interaction: Individually contributes to project/work teams.

Core Capabilities

• Supporting Colleagues:
  • Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.
  • Builds and Maintains Relationships: Seeks to understand colleagues' priorities, working styles, and develops relationships across areas.
  • Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner.
• Delivering Excellent Services:
  • Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems and needs of others and how to provide excellent service.
  • Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns to supervisors in a timely manner.
  • Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support.
• Ensuring High Quality:
  • Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards.
  • Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools, or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond.
  • Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department.
• Managing Resources Effectively:
  • Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service.
  • Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources.
  • Makes Data-Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision-making to consistently achieve results on time and without error.
• Fostering Innovation:
  • Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them.
  • Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure the proper course of action.
  • Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.