General Surgery, Inpatient APP

About the role

With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, Vanderbilt Health is the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system, providing world‑class care to the Mid‑South through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. The organization fosters a collaborative, supportive community where expertise is valued, knowledge expanded and uniqueness celebrated. Located in the VIP Adult – Clarksville setting, the Advanced Practice Clinician (NP/PA) role is service/physician aligned, managing a distinct patient population, performing outpatient and inpatient care, facilitating discharges and outpatient follow‑up, and ensuring adherence to clinical pathways and protocols while delivering safe, quality care.

Responsibilities

• Perform and document a complete history and physical examination for acute and complex chronically ill patients.
• Order and collect data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant supporting diagnostic information and diagnostic procedures where indicated.
• Serve as first responder for nursing and staff in the event of patient status changes, orders, and situations requiring procedural and resuscitative interventions.
• Assess risks associated with care of acute and complex chronically ill patients including medication side effects, immobility, impaired nutrition, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, immunocompetence, invasive interventions and diagnostic procedures.
• Coordinate daily clinic schedule with the attending physician team, present patient reports, collaborate in plan of care, and follow assigned patient population.
• Manage diagnostic tests through ordering, interpretation, performance, and supervision.
• Identify expected outcomes from diagnosis and formulate and document an individualized, dynamic plan of care based on evidence‑based practice guidelines or protocols.
• Implement and modify plan of care by prescribing diagnostic strategies and therapeutic interventions (pharmacologic, non‑pharmacologic, surgical) needed to achieve expected outcomes.
• Perform advanced procedures consistent with privileges and competency validation, including minor suturing, complex wound management, line and tube placements and removals.
• Maintain ongoing communication and collaboration with the interdisciplinary health care team, patients, families, and staff.
• Document/dictate key components of patient progress via daily progress notes, transfer and discharge summaries, clinic notes, etc., ensuring timely, compliant documentation that captures patient acuity.
• Demonstrate professional practice behaviors such as precepting/mentoring, educating students and staff, seeking research opportunities, participating in Grand Rounds, APN council meetings, faculty and unit meetings, M&M presentations, maintaining CEUs and professional organization membership.

Qualifications

• Licensed Nurse Practitioner (TN) or Physician's Assistant Certified (TN).
• Minimum 1 year of relevant work experience.
• Master’s degree.

Benefits

• 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 apply).
• Short‑ and long‑term disability.
• Subsidized backup childcare.
• Inpatient nursing supplemental pay program (details available on request).