Nurse Practitioner / Physician Assistant, Pediatric CVICU (Palo Alto)

Job Description

Role Description

Join a fast-paced, innovative, and dynamic unit! The Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) offers state-of-the-art critical care for children with congenital and acquired heart disease, as well as adults in the immediate post-operative period. Our facility is one of the largest and most technologically advanced units dedicated to critically ill pediatric cardiac patients in the western United States, caring for over 750 patients annually. The CVICU currently has 29 beds with plans to expand to 36 beds.

Our Pediatric Heart Transplant program is complemented by the Pediatric Advanced Cardiac Therapies (PACT) program, which provides artificial circulatory assist devices like ECMO, the Berlin Heart, and Heart Mate. We are nationally recognized for our expertise in caring for these complex patients.

Our APP team comprises 19 highly qualified Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs), with over 90 years of combined pediatric cardiac experience. Our team is passionate about research, VADs, anatomy and physiology, neonates, critically ill patients, adults with congenital heart disease, and surgical care. We seek team players who share our passion for pediatric cardiac intensive care and wish to be part of a fast-paced, fun, challenging, and growing unit.

Responsibilities include pre-rounding, developing and implementing care plans, presenting on rounds, and performing procedures such as intubation, line placement, chest tube insertion/removal, and pacer wire removal.

Hospital-wide opportunities include participation in clinical ladder programs, grand rounds, APP council, and task forces.

Requirements include a Master's or doctoral degree in nursing from an accredited institution, graduation from an NLNAC or CCNE-accredited NP program, and appropriate license and certification. Pediatric cardiac and ICU experience are highly preferred.

Job Summary

The APP works as part of a collaborative team, including physicians, fellows, and other APPs. Responsibilities include receiving overnight sign-out, pre-rounding, developing and presenting care plans, and responding to nursing issues. Credentialed procedures include intubation, central and arterial line placement, chest tube insertion/removal, PD drain placement, and pacing wire removal.

Nurse Practitioner (NP): Provides routine care and management of patients with acute and chronic issues under standardized protocols, in collaboration with supervising physicians.

Physician Assistant (PA): Performs functions as approved by the supervising physician, within the scope of the role and institutional policies.

Essential Functions

Includes evaluating and treating patients, obtaining histories, performing physical exams, ordering and evaluating diagnostic tests, administering medications, performing designated procedures, obtaining informed consent, and coordinating hospital admissions/discharges. All duties are performed in accordance with hospital standards, safety, and quality requirements, and in collaboration with physicians.