Pediatric Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant - Perioperative Risk Assessment

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

About The Position

Join Vanderbilt Health’s growing perioperative team as an Advanced Practice Provider (APP), helping expand preoperative care for pediatric patients preparing for procedures and anesthesia. The APP partners closely with a newly developed RN perioperative risk assessment team to support safe, efficient, coordinated care. The role provides specialized assessment and consultation for patients with complex medical histories, comorbidities, abnormal screening findings, or other factors that could affect readiness for anesthesia or a planned procedure. The APP helps determine whether additional testing, records, specialty consultation, or clinical optimization is needed and collaborates with anesthesia providers, procedural and surgical teams, nurses, and other partners to develop perioperative care plans. The position supports patients and families through preoperative assessment and preparation, coordinates care for medically complex patients undergoing multiple procedures or studies requiring anesthesia, and promotes continuity among primary care providers, specialists, procedural teams, anesthesia providers, and families. The APP also contributes to timely resolution of concerns, reducing preventable delays and cancellations, developing and standardizing program workflows, and quality improvement and education as the perioperative risk assessment program grows. Schedule: Four 10-hour day shifts, rotating between 5:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. No nights, weekends, or call.

Requirements

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (CPNP-PC), Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (CPNP-AC), or Physician Assistant (PA).
Tennessee licensure as a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant; the position qualifications also list Tennessee Registered Nurse licensure.
Master’s degree.
Demonstrated clinical knowledge and practice, patient- and family-centered care, interpersonal and communication skills, and professionalism.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience is preferred, including perioperative services RN or APP experience.

Responsibilities

Provide advanced clinical assessment of pediatric patients undergoing procedures requiring anesthesia, focusing on identifying and addressing perioperative risk factors.
Serve as a clinical resource for the RN Perioperative Risk Assessment Team, offering consultation and guidance for patients needing additional evaluation.
Evaluate patients with complex medical histories, comorbidities, abnormal screening findings, or other factors that may affect readiness for anesthesia or a planned procedure.
Determine whether additional testing, medical records, specialty consultation, or clinical optimization is needed before anesthesia.
Collaborate with anesthesia providers, surgical and procedural teams, RNs, and interdisciplinary partners to develop perioperative plans of care.
Support timely escalation and resolution of clinical concerns identified through RN preoperative screening.
Communicate with patients and families about assessment findings, additional evaluation needs, and preparation for anesthesia and procedures.
Coordinate care for medically complex patients undergoing multiple procedures, diagnostic studies, or interventions requiring anesthesia.
Facilitate communication among primary care providers, specialists, procedural teams, anesthesia providers, and families to promote continuity of care.
Identify opportunities to reduce preventable day-of-procedure delays and cancellations through early recognition and management of perioperative concerns.
Partner with nursing and physician leadership to develop, refine, and standardize workflows for the perioperative risk assessment program.
Participate in quality improvement initiatives focused on patient safety, care coordination, efficiency, and the preoperative patient and family experience.
Provide education and clinical support to perioperative risk assessment team members as the program grows.
Maintain current evidence-based knowledge and educate patients, families, students, and healthcare team members on clinical topics.
Document clinical findings, assessments, and plans of care in the electronic health record.