Physician Assistant or Acute Care Nurse Practitioner - Cardiothoracic Critical Care Intensive Care Unit (CTICU), Full-time, NIGHTS Only

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare•Chicago, IL

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Northwestern Medicine has an exciting opportunity for either a Nurse Practitioner or a Physician Assistant to work in our Cardiothoracic Critical Care Intensive Care Unit (CTICU). This position is ALL NIGHTS; each shift is 13-hours; start end times are ~6PM - ~7AM. Weekends and holidays are assigned as needed. The role involves providing comprehensive, collaborative management of patients within the CTICU, including those undergoing heart and lung transplants, and dual organ transplants. The practitioner will develop and implement plans of care in collaboration with critical care and surgical services, coordinate with consultative services, and prescribe/manage medications including vasoactive drugs and antibiotics. Responsibilities also include managing ventilatory status, performing and assisting with procedures like central line placement, arterial line insertion, chest tube management, and bronchoscopy, and completing timely documentation. The role requires responding to and leading emergency response situations, providing education to patients and families, and managing cardiac support devices such as intra-aortic balloon pumps, impellas, and ECMO. Partnership with transplant services for post-transplant protocols, including immunosuppression, rejection monitoring, and discharge planning, is also a key function. The role demonstrates clinical expertise, expanded knowledge, and is responsible for the health outcome of an assigned patient population. It involves conferring with collaborating physicians and other health professionals, developing educational systems for patients, families, and staff, mentoring graduate students, and participating in quality improvement and research pertinent to the area of expertise. Additional duties include conducting comprehensive health status appraisals, providing direct clinical care, prescribing/ordering medications and therapies, ordering/interpreting tests, evaluating patient needs for further care, documenting all care provided, referring to other disciplines, consulting with other disciplines, integrating research-based knowledge, exemplifying a professional image, advocating for patients, families, coworkers, and the community, maintaining certifications, serving as a patient advocate and role model, participating in committees, providing comprehensive teaching strategies, developing and participating in continuing education programs for staff, serving as a role model and preceptor to students, and providing formal education to internal and external groups. Quality improvement and research initiatives are also part of the role.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited school/college of nursing OR master's degree from an accredited Physician Assistant Program
Acute care certification required for APRNs
Current license as a Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois.
Current license as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois.
Certification as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse by a national certifying body as approved by the Illinois Department of Regulation APRN Board.
Once licensed may apply for a controlled substance license and DEA number OR Master’s degree from an accredited Physician Assistant Program/Current license as a Physician Assistant in the State of Illinois.
Once licensed may apply for a controlled substance license and DEA number
Privileged and credentialed through the NMH Medical Staff Office (MSO)
Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation – BLS, issued by the American Heart Association
Minimum of two (2) years of APP experience working in a critical care setting

Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive, collaborative management of the patient populations within the cardiothoracic intensive care unit (CTICU).
Develop and implement plans of care in collaboration with critical care and surgical services.
Coordinate with and incorporate consultative services into patient’s plan of care as clinically indicated.
Prescribe and manage medications for patient inclusive of vasoactive drugs and antibiotics.
Manage ventilatory status and needs of patients in partnership with respiratory therapy.
Demonstrate competency to perform and assist with procedures such as central line placement, arterial line insertion, chest tube management, and bronchoscopy.
Complete timely and accurate problem-based, system-oriented documentation on patient’s clinical status.
Respond to and lead emergency response situations within intensive care unit.
Provide education to patient and family throughout clinical course.
Oversight and management of cardiac support devices inclusive of intra-aortic balloon pump, impellas, and ECMO.
Partner with transplant services to monitor and enact post-transplant protocols inclusive of immunosuppression, invasive rejection monitoring, and discharge planning.
Demonstrates clinical expertise and expanded knowledge through patient care activities which may include diagnosis and management of a wide range of health problems.
Responsible for health outcome of an assigned patient population.
Confers with collaborating physician and other health professionals in area of clinical expertise.
Develops appropriate educational systems for patients, families and staff in areas of expertise.
Mentors graduate students in aspects of advanced practice and patient care.
Actively participates in quality improvement and/or research pertinent to area of expertise.
Conducts comprehensive appraisals of patients' health status by taking health histories and performing physical examinations in clinical area.
Provides direct clinical care to patients.
Prescribes/orders medications, therapies; orders/interprets laboratory tests, x-rays and procedures according to clinical privileges.
Evaluates patients to determine their need for further health care.
Provides comprehensive teaching to patients and families.
Documents in the medical record all care and education provided and/or procedures performed for which the Licensed Advanced Practice Provider is responsible.
Refers to other disciplines as appropriate.
Consultant to other disciplines in areas of expertise.
Integrates research based knowledge and clinical expertise in decision making.
Exemplifies a professional image in appearance, manner and presentation.
Advocate for patients, families, coworkers, and the community.
Maintains certifications and continuing education as required for licensure and privileging.
Serves as a patient advocate and role model for "Patients First".
Participates in unit/departmental/divisional or hospital committees/task forces as appropriate.
Provides comprehensive teaching strategies for patients and their families.
Develops and participates in programs to meet continuing education needs of staff.
Serves as a role model and preceptor to students.
Provides formal education to both internal and external groups pertinent to area of specialty.
Participates in quality improvement and/or research initiatives for specific patient population as appropriate.