Critical Care APP (Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant) - Cardiac ICU

About the role

Join a nationally recognized Cardiac Critical Care team at WashU Medicine. We are seeking compassionate, highly motivated Advanced Practice Providers—including experienced Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (ACNPs), Physician Assistants (PAs), and new graduate ACNPs and PAs—to join the multidisciplinary team in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. This is an exceptional opportunity to develop expertise in advanced cardiac critical care while working alongside nationally recognized physicians, APPs, nurses, and healthcare professionals dedicated to delivering world-class patient care.

Why this opportunity?

• Work in a highly specialized 12-bed Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
• Care for patients with some of the most complex cardiovascular conditions
• Collaborate with expert intensivists and multidisciplinary specialists
• Gain hands-on experience with advanced therapies and procedures
• Strong mentorship and support for new graduate ACNPs and PAs

Patient population & clinical focus

The CICU provides care for critically ill patients with:

• Cardiogenic shock
• Advanced heart failure
• Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Complex valvular heart disease
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• High-risk pulmonary embolism
• Post-cardiac arrest syndrome
• Cardiac tamponade
• LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) complications
• Heart transplant patients and candidates

Providers work with advanced cardiac therapies, including:

• Invasive hemodynamic monitoring
• Mechanical circulatory support devices

Ideal candidate profile

This position is ideal for providers who thrive in fast-paced settings and are passionate about critical care medicine. Successful candidates will possess strong clinical judgment, procedural skills, and the ability to manage complex patients with a high level of autonomy while collaborating closely with an experienced intensivist team.

Requirements

• Hold a master’s or doctoral degree as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant
• New graduates with acute care training are encouraged to apply

While not required, experience in the following areas is highly valued:

• Critical care
• Cardiology
• Central venous line management
• Arterial line management
• Inpatient acute care settings

Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care including obtaining history, performing assessment, and physical examination
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests and procedures (x-ray, electrocardiogram, hemodynamic monitoring, laboratory tests)
• Perform critical care ultrasound
• Provide counseling and education to patients and families regarding preventive health, treatment options, and community resources
• Formulate differential diagnoses and plans
• Plan, implement, and direct treatment and management of acute, critical, and complex conditions and evaluate outcomes
• Document patient encounters in the medical record
• Manage health conditions via prescriptive authority or provide referral to other providers or community resources
• Perform diagnostic or therapeutic interventions consistent with certification and state regulations
• Perform invasive procedures commonly utilized in the critical care setting
• Bill for professional services as permitted by collaborative practice agreement
• Support a 24/7 staffing model, including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Schedule staff in various critical care settings, including telemedicine
• Maintain a safe, therapeutic environment for patients and families
• Work in accordance with departmental policies, quality assurance, safety, environmental, and infection control standards
• Participate in emergency and critical care situations with rapid assessment and stabilization
• Engage in quality improvement and process improvement activities
• Serve as clinical expert and leadership consultant to nursing

Working conditions

• Normal office environment
• Exposure to blood-borne pathogens, chemicals, and protective devices
• Dust, dirt, grease, or other disagreeable elements
• Direct patient care setting

Physical effort typically includes sitting, standing, walking, bending, crouching, stooping, using tools requiring high dexterity, and occasional lifting of 25 lbs or less.

Education

• Master’s degree required

Certifications & professional licenses

• Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) – American Nurses Credentialing Center
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) – American Heart Association
• Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) – Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
• Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) – Missouri Division of Professional Registration
• Certified Nurse Practitioner – American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• Certified Nurse Practitioner – Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
• Certified Nurse Practitioner – Missouri Division of Professional Registration
• Physician Assistant – Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
• Physician Assistant – Missouri Division of Professional Registration
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) within 30 days – American Heart Association

Skills

• Acute Care
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)
• BLS for Healthcare Providers
• Chronic Disease Management
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Diagnostic Testing
• Effective Written Communication
• Epic EHR
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
• Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Impella
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP)
• Organizing
• Pacemakers
• Patient Care Plans
• Patient Management
• Patient Medications
• Patient Referrals
• Patient Restraints
• Surgical Drains
• Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)
• Wound Care Management

Pay

Salary range: $114,200.00 – $205,400.00 annually. The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including qualifications, performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade, and department budget.

Benefits

• Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time
• Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance
• Free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees
• Defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan with university contributions starting at 7%
• Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, and access to dietitians
• 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with a new child
• Family care resources and adult care support
• Tuition coverage for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years