About the role
Discover Vanderbilt Health
: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.
Organization:
PCICU
Job Summary:
Join One of the Nation’s Leading Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Teams
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is seeking Advanced Practice Providers (Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants) to join our highly specialized Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) team.
Our PCICU cares for infants, children, and adolescents with some of the most complex congenital and acquired heart conditions. As an APP, you'll work alongside pediatric cardiac intensivists, congenital heart surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and other multidisciplinary team members to deliver exceptional care in a collaborative and supportive environment.
This is an exciting opportunity to practice in a high-acuity setting while developing expertise in advanced pediatric cardiac critical care, including ECMO, ventricular assist devices (VADs), heart transplantation, and complex postoperative cardiac surgical care.
.
About the PCICU
The Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit provides comprehensive care for critically ill children with congenital and acquired heart disease, including:
Preoperative and postoperative congenital heart surgery
Complex cardiac medical management
ECMO and ventricular assist device (VAD) support
Heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support
Multidisciplinary cardiac critical care
Why APPs Thrive Here
Our APPs are supported by a highly collaborative team that is deeply committed to clinical excellence, education, and professional growth.
Benefits of joining our team include:
In-house overnight support from pediatric cardiac intensivists and fellows
A collaborative multidisciplinary practice environment
Exposure to advanced therapies, including ECMO, VADs, heart transplantation, and complex congenital heart disease management
Opportunities for professional growth, leadership development, and continuing education
Participation in research and quality improvement initiatives
A structured six-month mentorship and onboarding program for new graduate APPs
Relocation assistance available for candidates relocating more than 100 miles from Nashville
Whether you're an experienced APP looking to expand your expertise in pediatric cardiac critical care or a new graduate seeking a strong mentorship experience, Vanderbilt offers the support, education, and clinical exposure to help you build a rewarding career.
Why Vanderbilt?
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is consistently recognized as one of the nation's leading children's hospitals and serves as a regional referral center for complex pediatric cardiac care. In 2026, the hospital was recognized among the nation's
Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for the 20th consecutive year
and was once again ranked as the
No. 1 children's hospital in Tennessee
, with national recognition in nine pediatric specialties, including
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
.
The Pediatric Heart Institute is also entering an exciting new era of growth and innovation following a transformational
$40 million philanthropic investment from Tom Golisano
. This investment will advance pediatric heart care, transplantation, research, and collaboration across a national network of leading children's hospitals through the Golisano Children's Alliance.
Located in the heart of Nashville, Vanderbilt offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on patients and families while working alongside some of the nation's leading experts in pediatric cardiac care.
Position Hours:
Full-Time
Nights - Possibility for Flex
3 Shifts Per Week
Requirements:
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care (CPNP-AC) or Physician Assistant
Prior APP Experience Preferred
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Obtains and documents a health history; performs and documents complete, system-focused, or symptom-specific physical examination, assessment and plan of care.
In collaboration, provides healthcare services for primary, acute and complex care of patients and manages patients’ overall care, identifying expected outcomes for diagnoses.
Orders, performs, interprets and collects data using appropriate assessment techniques, relevant supporting diagnostic information and diagnostic procedures where indicated.
Forms differential diagnoses and treats acute and chronic conditions.
Prescribes therapeutic interventions for both pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic and surgical, needed to achieve expected outcomes.
Utilizes evidence-based, approved practice protocols in planning and implementing care.
Initiates appropriate referrals and consultations
Provides specialty specific consultation services upon request and within a specialty scope of practice.
Facilitates the patient’s transition between and within health care settings, such as admitting, transferring, and discharging patients.
The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
Health Systems and Policy Management (Advanced): Demonstrates sufficient fundamental proficiency in behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, an understanding and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.
Patient and Family Centered Care (Advanced): Demonstrates care that is compassionate, appropriate and effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease and care at the end of life. Within scope of licensure and certification, manages previously diagnosed and undiagnosed patients. Uses health assessment skills to differentiate between normal, variations of normal, and abnormal findings. Employes screening and diagnostic strategies in the development of diagnoses. Prescribes medications within scope of practice. Manages health/illness status of patients and families over time and across the continuum. Provides patient/centered care recognizing the patient or designee as a full partner in decision making. Creates a climate of patient/centered care to include confidentiality privacy, comfort emotional support, mutual trust, and respect. Incorporates cultural and spiritual preferences, values and beliefs into health care. Preserves the patient’s control over decision making by negotiating a mutually acceptable plan of care. Integrates ethical principles into decision making. Uses electronic health record to capture data on variables for the evaluation and management of patient care. Clearly documents findings, assessment and plan of care.
Clinical Knowledge and Practice (Advanced): Demonstrates established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the education of others. Demonstrates knowledge of population focus but also other sciences that support his/her field of practice. Demonstrates knowledge of common and important health issues affecting society and other societies around the globe. Demonstrates commitment in maintaining current evidence-based knowledge through continuous learning. Educates patients, families, students and other members of the healthcare team in clinical topics and