Pediatric Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant - PICU (.75 FTE)

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. The mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

About the Role

The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) is an integral member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, delivering expert care in the Critical Care setting. This role involves managing high-acuity intensive care unit (ICU) patients with unstable conditions who require intensive oversight, frequent rounding, and specialized care. The APP is responsible for managing complex conditions while ensuring delivery of safe, high-quality care, combining evidence-based practice with clinical expertise to meet the unique needs of critical care patients.

This position is .75 FTE (30 hours per week) on a night shift schedule with 12-hour shifts (mix of 1700–0500 and 1800–0500).

Department Summary

Monroe Carell’s state-of-the-art, 42-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is dedicated to the care of critically ill children. The ICU team includes pediatricians board-certified in critical care medicine, working alongside nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, case managers, child life specialists, pharmacologists, and nutritionists to provide high-quality, round-the-clock care. Patient safety and quality of care are prioritized through regular practice reviews and continuous improvement efforts.

Responsibilities

• Obtains and documents a health history; performs and documents complete, system-focused, or symptom-specific physical examinations, assessments, and plans of care.
• In collaboration, provides healthcare services for primary, acute, and complex care of patients, managing overall care and identifying expected outcomes for diagnoses.
• Orders, performs, interprets, and collects data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant diagnostic information, and procedures.
• Forms differential diagnoses and treats acute and chronic conditions.
• Prescribes therapeutic interventions, including pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic, and surgical interventions, 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 a specialty scope of practice.
• Facilitates patient transitions between and within healthcare settings, including admitting, transferring, and discharging patients.

Technical Capabilities

• Health Systems and Policy Management (Advanced): Demonstrates commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and participation in professional organizations.
• Patient and Family-Centered Care (Advanced): Provides compassionate, appropriate, and effective care, managing both diagnosed and undiagnosed patients. Uses health assessment skills to differentiate normal, variations of normal, and abnormal findings. Employs screening and diagnostic strategies, prescribes medications, and manages health/illness status over time.
• Clinical Knowledge and Practice (Advanced): Applies biomedical, clinical, and social sciences knowledge to patient care and education. Maintains current evidence-based knowledge and educates patients, families, and healthcare team members.
• Practice-Based Scholarly Inquiry and Integration (Advanced): Uses scientific evidence to investigate, evaluate, and improve patient care practices. Integrates knowledge from humanities and sciences within nursing science.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills (Advanced): Establishes and maintains professional relationships with patients, families, and healthcare teams. Communicates practice knowledge effectively both orally and in writing.
• Professionalism (Advanced): Demonstrates behaviors reflecting commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and participation in medical center committees and professional organizations.

Core Accountabilities

• Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with an understanding of how output impacts other areas related to the job.
• 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.
• Supporting Colleagues:
  • Develops self and others through investment in learning and performance improvement.
  • Builds and maintains relationships with key colleagues and stakeholders.
  • Communicates effectively, adapting style to different situations and audiences.
• Delivering Excellent Services:
  • Serves others with compassion, understanding current and future needs.
  • Solves complex problems by approaching them from different angles.
  • Provides ongoing support and coaching to increase effectiveness.
• Ensuring High Quality:
  • Engages in dialogue about quality and addresses issues promptly.
  • Applies learning experiences to uncover root causes of problems and improve processes.
  • Understands and fulfills safety and regulatory requirements.
• Managing Resources Effectively:
  • Demonstrates accountability and ownership of critical issues.
  • Stewards organizational resources effectively.
  • Makes data-driven decisions to identify and elevate opportunities.
• Fostering Innovation:
  • Generates new ideas and opportunities to improve processes.
  • Demonstrates enthusiasm for learning new technologies and tools.
  • Adapts to change, viewing challenges as opportunities for improvement.

Requirements

• Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care (CPNP-AC) or Physician Assistant (PA).
• Licensed as a Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Registered Nurse in Tennessee.
• Master’s degree.
• Less than 1 year of relevant work experience.

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.

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package to enhance well-being and professional growth.