Advanced Practice Provider (NP/PA) Cardiothoracic Surgery – Surgical

The Medical College of Wisconsin•Milwaukee, WI

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery is seeking a full-time OR Advanced Practice Provider (Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant) to work as a surgical first assistant at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Milwaukee, WI. The APP works directly alongside cardiothoracic surgeons throughout the perioperative episode — from pre-operative preparation through intraoperative assistance and immediate post-operative care.

Requirements

Advanced Practice Nurse / Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner Wisconsin RN License
Wisconsin Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber License
American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS)
DEA registration
Nurse Practitioner Certification from a nationally accredited professional nursing organization: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP), Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP (AGPCNP), or Family NP (FNP)
Physician Assistant Wisconsin Physician Assistant License
Certification by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) required within 6 months of start date

Nice To Haves

Prior cardiothoracic surgery OR experience preferred.
Previous experience of 2+ years working as an APP in the OR is preferred.
Previous experience as a surgical first assistant in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, or thoracic surgery.
Prior experience with vein and radial artery harvesting preferred.

Responsibilities

First assist in a high-volume cardiothoracic surgery program performing nearly 2,000 adult cardiac and thoracic procedures annually, including coronary, valvular, aortic, structural heart, heart and lung transplant, MCS/ECMO, and thoracic surgery.
Provide intraoperative assistance including vein graft harvesting and technical assistance across a broad range of complex cardiac and thoracic procedures, including heart transplantation.
Be directly involved in pre-operative, intraoperative, and immediate post-operative care, with a focus on patient safety and surgical efficiency throughout the perioperative episode.
Participate in a rotating on-call schedule covering nights and weekends for urgent and emergent cardiothoracic cases.
Work closely with cardiothoracic surgeons, anesthesiologists, surgical technologists, and nursing staff to support a coordinated and efficient OR environment.