Clinic

University of Virginia

About The Position

The Acute Care Trauma Surgery service at UVA Health's University MedicalCenter, a Level I Adult Trauma Center, seeks an Advanced Practice Provider (Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant) to join an established multidisciplinary team caring for complex trauma patients across the inpatient acute care and outpatient continuum. This full-time position (1.0 FTE; 40 hours/week) includes approximately 90% inpatient clinical responsibilities and 10% outpatient trauma clinic coverage. The APP provides comprehensive evaluation and management of hospitalized trauma surgery patients, participating in daily rounds, coordinating multidisciplinary care, managing acute clinical issues, facilitating complex discharge planning, and ensuring adherence to trauma care pathways. The role requires the ability to navigate the complexities of high-acuity trauma care with a high degree of clinical autonomy while collaborating closely with trauma surgeons, residents, nurses, and allied health professionals. This position also includes a weekly trauma clinic commitment that supports post-discharge follow-up, wound care, recovery monitoring, and continuity of care for trauma patients transitioning from hospital to outpatient recovery. The service operates within a large regional referral center with a broad catchment area, managing diverse and complex injury patterns. The current staffing model provides weekday coverage from 0600–1830 across approximately 13 shifts per month per APP. As part of an academic teaching institution, the APP contributes to a collaborative learning environment and may participate in the education of trainees and interprofessional team members. This role offers the opportunity to practice across both inpatient and outpatient settings while providing meaningful continuity of care for trauma patients throughout their recovery trajectory. For Nurse Practitioner candidates, certification as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) is preferred.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited graduate school of nursing or physician assistant program with a master’s degree.
License or license eligible as an Advance Practice Provider (Nurse Practitioner, Physician Associate, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and Certified Nurse Midwife) as set forth by the state of Virginia. If Nurse Practitioner, license to Practice as a Registered Nurse in the Commonwealth of Virginia is required. Must demonstrate and maintain all credentialing and licensing requirements of UVA Health System, the Virginia Board of Medicine or the Virginia Board of Nursing, and appropriate certifying bodies. Current Basic Life Support (BLS) required. Current PALS/NRP, as required, specific to position. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) as required, specific to position.
Demonstrated ability to function effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and professionally with patients, families, physicians, nurses, and other members of the care team.
Ability to manage complex clinical situations with sound judgment, organization, and adaptability in a high-acuity environment.

Nice To Haves

One to two years of prior experience in trauma surgery, acute care surgery, or a related surgical specialty is preferred.
For Nurse Practitioner candidates, certification as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) is preferred.

Responsibilities

Functions as an Advanced Practice Provider (Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant) within Acute Care Trauma Surgery, providing care across inpatient and outpatient settings in a Level I Adult Trauma Center.
Practices within a 1.0 FTE role (40 hours/week), with approximately 90% effort dedicated to inpatient trauma surgery acute care and 10% effort dedicated to outpatient trauma follow-up clinic.
Provides clinical coverage within the established service schedule, currently 0600–1830, averaging 13 shifts per month.
Documents clinical care, treatment plans, procedures, and transitions of care in the electronic health record in accordance with departmental, hospital, regulatory, and billing requirements.
Coordinates with trauma surgeons, consulting services, nursing, case management, rehabilitation, and ancillary teams to support efficient patient flow and continuity of care.
Participates in department-specific operational workflows, quality initiatives, and clinical program development as needed.
Supports compliance with institutional policies, trauma program standards, and credentialing requirements.
Maintains required licensure, certification, and clinical competencies for APP practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia and within UVA Health.
Demonstrates advanced knowledge and clinical judgment in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of trauma surgery patients across the continuum of care.
Practices with a high degree of autonomy within an established inpatient trauma service, under limited supervision for routine clinical situations.
Applies specialized knowledge to navigate the complexities of acute trauma care, postoperative management, and trauma-specific recovery needs.
Provides patient and family education related to injuries, treatment plans, medications, recovery expectations, and follow-up care.
Serves as a professional resource to nurses, learners, and other members of the interdisciplinary team.
Participates in maintaining clinical excellence through continuing education, required certifications, competency validation, and adherence to evidence-based practice.
Contributes to the academic mission of the institution through collaboration in a teaching environment and support of trainee education where appropriate.
Provides comprehensive evaluation and management of acute care level trauma surgery patients in the inpatient setting.
Performs histories, physical examinations, daily reassessments, and develops diagnostic and therapeutic plans for patients with traumatic injury.
Manages complex and high-acuity trauma patients referred from a large regional catchment area in collaboration with the multidisciplinary trauma team.
Coordinates and implements care plans across hospitalization, including diagnostic workup, treatment progression, consultant coordination, discharge readiness, and post-discharge needs.
Navigates complex discharge planning and transitions of care for trauma patients with medical, surgical, social, and rehabilitative needs.
Anchors consistency and quality of care by supporting adherence to trauma care pathways, daily plan execution, and continuity among providers and settings.
Provides trauma-specific outpatient follow-up care, including post-discharge evaluation, wound assessment, recovery monitoring, and reinforcement of ongoing care plans.
Preserves continuity between inpatient hospitalization and outpatient recovery through direct involvement in both care environments.
Participates in face-to-face patient care and clinical decision-making central to the management of trauma surgery patients.
May lead daily clinical operations within the APP workflow and assist in coordinating day-to-day service needs on the trauma surgery team.
Provides guidance, support, and informal training to lower-level staff, new team members, and learners within the clinical environment.
Collaborates with department leadership and physician partners to promote efficient care delivery, service consistency, and high-quality patient outcomes.
Identifies operational or clinical issues that are not routine, analyzes contributing factors, and supports problem-solving within the care team.
Contributes to a culture of accountability, teamwork, and professionalism within an academic teaching institution.
Supports quality improvement, care standardization, and service development efforts relevant to trauma surgery practice.