Physician (Pulmonary Medicine)-Critical Care Nocturnist

Veterans Health Administration • Louisville, KY

13h • Onsite

About The Position

The full-time Pulmonary Medicine Critical Care Nocturnist Physician works overnight in the Intensive Care Unit at The Robley Rex VA Medical Center. The physician independently performs critical care procedures and manages critically ill patients, including mechanical ventilation, invasive monitoring, and emergency interventions. The role requires the ability to work efficiently and calmly in a fast-paced, high-stress environment.

The physician conducts ICU admissions and assessments during night shifts, develops and evaluates individualized care plans, performs advanced life-support procedures, oversees ventilated patients, and responds to emergencies in the ICU and elsewhere in the hospital. The role also includes limited floor admissions, collaboration with a multidisciplinary care team, handoffs to daytime teams, and accurate electronic medical record documentation.

The physician mentors and supervises residents and trainees, participates in educational activities, communicates with patients and families, and contributes to quality improvement and patient-safety reviews. The position offers a competitive salary, performance bonuses, salary increases, federal benefits, paid time off, retirement benefits, and eligibility for the Education Debt Reduction Program subject to program requirements. The schedule is overnight, with 12-hour shifts and a 7-days-on/7-days-off rotation when two vacancies are filled; alternate overnight hours are described for one filled position.

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine or equivalent degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine from an appropriately approved or accredited institution.
• Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Completion of qualifying residency training in an accredited core specialty program leading to eligibility for board certification, or an applicable alternative training and independent-practice pathway described in the announcement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing-designated position must undergo urinalysis for illegal drug use; refusal results in denial of employment.
• Must complete background/security investigation and online onboarding requirements.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.
• Must complete application requirements specified in the announcement.

Nice To Haves

• Five years of experience preferred.
• Board certification is required for the stated possible CME reimbursement.

Responsibilities

• Assess critically ill patients admitted to the ICU during night shifts and develop, implement, and evaluate individualized care plans.
• Perform, interpret, and manage advanced life-support procedures, including intubation, central and arterial line placement, thoracentesis, paracentesis, and emergency dialysis initiation.
• Manage mechanically ventilated patients, including ventilation settings and weaning protocols.
• Use invasive hemodynamic monitoring tools to assess patients and adjust treatment plans.
• Lead and respond to code blue situations, rapid response activations, and other emergencies in the ICU and throughout the hospital as needed.
• Collaborate with nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, consulting specialists, and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Provide thorough handoff reports to daytime critical care teams to support continuity of care.
• Stay current with critical care research and advancements and incorporate evidence-based practices into patient care.
• Independently manage ICU admissions during night shifts, complete documentation, and initiate treatment protocols; also manage some limited floor admissions.
• Assist ICU staff with complex procedures and interventions, providing mentorship and technical expertise.
• Mentor and supervise residents and medical trainees in the management of critically ill patients.
• Participate in educational activities such as bedside teaching, case discussions, and morbidity and mortality conferences, and provide constructive feedback to trainees.
• Communicate compassionately and clearly with patients and families about medical conditions, treatment options, and care plans, and provide emotional support.
• Maintain timely and effective communication with healthcare team members.
• Promptly enter clinical notes, orders, and patient interactions in the electronic medical record.
• Participate in quality improvement projects, morbidity and mortality reviews, root cause analyses, and other quality assurance activities.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program student loan reimbursement, subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 over one to five years.
• Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, and regular salary increases.
• 50–55 days of paid time off per year, including 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 federal holidays, and a possible five-day paid CME absence.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Possible $1,000 annual CME reimbursement for full-time physicians with board certification.
• Free liability protection with tail coverage.
• No physician employment contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree