APP Manager (NP or PA) - Cardiac OR

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) operates at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care. VUMC is a community where expertise is valued, knowledge is expanded, and abilities are challenged. Vanderbilt Health fosters an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive, celebrating uniqueness and encouraging employees to take pride in their work. The mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

About the Role

The Advanced Practice (AP) Manager provides operational direction for team leaders and front-line AP clinicians (APC). Collaborating with the Director for Advanced Practice and entity AP leadership, this role includes clinical practice, management of daily operations, fiscal accountability, and administrative duties such as program development, personnel supervision, performance feedback, and quality data initiatives.

The APP Manager, Cardiac OR (CVOR) is a newly created leadership position responsible for operational oversight, staffing, and performance management of the Cardiac OR First Assist team, including Advanced Practice Providers (NPs/PAs) and First Assist clinicians (e.g., RNFAs). This leader partners closely with surgeons, perioperative leadership, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable intraoperative coverage in a high-acuity cardiac surgery environment.

Program Highlights

• High-acuity Cardiac OR supporting complex surgical procedures
• One of the region's fastest-growing heart transplant programs
• Performed a world record number of heart transplants in 2024 and 2025
• Five dedicated cardiac operating rooms, with an occasional sixth room in operation
• High-volume environment with variable daily case volume, often ranging from 6 to 10+ cases per day
• Participation in heart and lung donor procurement workflows

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Management
  • Provide direct leadership and management for the CVOR First Assist team (fewer than 20 clinicians)
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement
  • Lead employee engagement, performance management, coaching, and career development initiatives
  • Support recruitment, onboarding, retention, and succession planning efforts
• Staffing & Operations
  • Develop and manage staffing schedules to ensure consistent intraoperative coverage for cardiac surgery services
  • Coordinate staffing plans with perioperative leadership and surgeons to meet evolving operational demands
  • Anticipate and address coverage needs related to case volume fluctuations, urgent or emergent cases, and donor procurement activities
  • Implement contingency plans and staffing solutions to maintain operational continuity and patient safety
• Performance & Professional Development
  • Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing coaching and feedback
  • Support orientation, training, and competency validation for first-assist practice
  • Identify opportunities for professional growth and skill development across the team
  • Address performance concerns in a timely and constructive manner
• Quality, Safety & Process Improvement
  • Promote best practices and standardization of cardiac first-assist workflows
  • Partner with clinical and operational leaders to improve efficiency, communication, and team effectiveness
  • Advance a culture focused on quality outcomes, patient safety, and continuous improvement
  • Monitor and support compliance with organizational, regulatory, and professional standards
• Clinical Practice
  • Maintain a limited clinical role, including CVOR first-assist responsibilities and/or participation in donor procurement activities, depending on department needs
  • Clinical-to-administrative time allocation may vary based on operational needs
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Develop and lead an advanced practice operational and strategic infrastructure aligned with entity goals
  • Report to the Director for Advanced Practice, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities
  • Lead individuals and multidisciplinary teams across all levels
  • Balance clinical practice with administrative duties to ensure high-quality, cost-effective care
  • Oversee daily operations, staffing, and resource allocation for APCs
  • Provide expertise on advanced practice regulations and oversee credentialing and privilege processes for APCs
  • Collaborate with Vanderbilt Credentialing Services (VCS) to ensure compliance
  • Assist with program development, personnel supervision, and performance management
  • Support quality data tracking and outcome-based performance initiatives to enhance patient care
  • Ensure evidence-based practice integration and promote research-driven clinical excellence
  • Manage assigned cost centers, ensuring fiscal responsibility
  • Work toward productivity benchmarks and operational goals to optimize clinical operations

Requirements

• Current Tennessee licensure as a:
  • Nurse Practitioner (NP)
  • Physician Assistant (PA)
• Significant experience supporting cardiac surgery as a first assist in a CVOR setting
• Demonstrated understanding of complex cardiac surgical workflows, including conduit and vein harvesting, intraoperative support, and high-acuity case management
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills with the ability to build trust and effectively manage teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous leadership, supervisory, or management experience within a surgical service line, operating room, or APP practice
• Experience supporting heart transplant programs and donor procurement operations
• Demonstrated success in staffing optimization, scheduling, performance management, and process improvement initiatives
• Experience leading highly specialized clinical teams in a complex healthcare environment

Skills & Competencies

• Strong clinical credibility within the cardiac surgery environment
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with surgeons, anesthesia teams, nursing staff, and operational leaders
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities
• Effective decision-making in high-pressure, rapidly changing environments
• Ability to prioritize competing demands while maintaining focus on quality and patient safety

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

Schedule

• Primarily day-shift hours
• Schedule may vary based on surgical volume, staffing needs, and donor procurement activity
• Flexibility may be required to support operational demands and department priorities

Core Accountabilities: Directs activities to achieve operational plans with near-term impact on department results. Identifies and resolves technical and operational problems. Applies in-depth professional/technical knowledge and basic management skills. Leads a complex department with a focus on short- to medium-term strategies.