Physician Assistant or Acute Care Nurse Practitioner - Hospital at Home, Part-time, Days

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare•Lake Forest, IL

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Northwestern Medicine has an exciting opportunity for either a motivated Physician Assistant or Acute Care Nurse Practitioner to work with our Hospital at Home team. This position will be inpatient. Schedule: 30/hours per week - 3 days. 7:00am-5:00pm Office call required. The APP serving in the Hospital at Home Admitting role is responsible for clinical evaluation, medical eligibility determination, and ensuring a safe, patient-centered transition from the hospital (or ED) into the home setting. The APP works in close collaboration with hospitalists, consultants, case management, nursing, and Hospital at Home staff to drive efficient patient throughput while maintaining the highest standards of clinical quality and patient experience. This is a high-impact role ideal for clinicians who enjoy autonomy, rapid clinical decision-making, systems-based practice, and care model innovation. This role plays a critical role in sustaining program access and appropriate admission volume through proactive patient identification, timely clinically decision making, and consistent engagement with hospital based teams. As part of the Northwestern Hospital at Home team, you can: Be at the forefront of a nationally expanding care model Have autonomy with medical decision making Shape workflows and clinical pathways Improve patient experience and reduce unnecessary hospital stays Help provide high quality, high acuity, inpatient medical care in the comfort of patients' homes.

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 (inpatient experience as an NP will be considered in lieu of acute care certification)
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 Northwestern Medicine Medical Staff Office (MSO)
Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation – BLS, issued by the American Heart Association

Nice To Haves

Minimum of 5+ years of acute care experience in Hospital Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Observation Medicine, or Urgent Care
Advanced clinical reasoning
Rapid clinical assessment
Ability to apply traditional hospital medical knowledge in a non-traditional setting (home)
Comfort with autonomous decision making
Comfort with managing moderate to high acuity medical patients
Strong risk assessment and triage skills
Ability to work in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment
Effective interdisciplinary communication
Strong operational mindset and efficiency focus
Understanding of inpatient-level workflows
Strong communication and interpersonal relationship skills
Systems thinking & workflow optimization
Adaptability in a new care model

Responsibilities

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.
Perform comprehensive medical screening and evaluations for Hospital at Home eligibility.
Assess clinical stability, acuity, and appropriateness for inpatient-level care in the home.
Perform in-person history and physical exams with complete documentation.
Enter admission orders and develop the initial plan of care OR enter transfer orders and develop the next plan of care.
Reconcile medications and coordinate durable medical equipment, required diagnostics, therapies, and specialty consults prior to transfer.
Regularly review the Hospital at Home eligibility list and patient charts to determine the best candidates to introduce the program.
Proactively identify potential candidates through participation in ED and inpatient rounds, huddles, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Partner with hospitalists, emergency physicians, consultants, PT/OT, pharmacy and case management to facilitate appropriate referrals.
Support timely enrollment and transfer from the hospital to the home setting.
Maintain consistent visibility within ED and inpatient units to ensure appropriate patients are identified and evaluated in a timely manner.
Serve as the clinical liaison between hospital-based teams and the Hospital at Home care team.
Collaborate closely with Clinical Coordinators and field nurses to ensure safe transitions.
Educate care teams on eligibility criteria and program capabilities.
Deliver clear education about the Hospital at Home model and how it benefits the patient and caregiver(s).
Build trust in a care setting that is new for many patients.
Clearly communicate expectations, safety, scope of care, monitoring processes, and escalation protocols.
Address clinical questions and obtain informed consent for program admission.
Ensure admissions meet CMS waiver and regulatory requirements.
Identify patients requiring higher level of care.
Apply standardized eligibility pathways and safety screening criteria.
Participate in quality review and program improvement initiatives as needed.
Ensure accurate, timely documentation for regularly and billing compliance.