New Grad Neonatal Nurse Practitioner - NICU

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

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Position Hours:

• 12 Hour Shifts (Rotating Monthly Day/Night Shift Schedule) or 24 Hour Shifts

Department Summary:

In the NICU at the Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt we are committed to providing the highest standard of care to our newborns and their families. Our state-of-the-art NICU is equipped with advanced technology and staffed by a compassionate team of experts who work tirelessly to ensure the best outcomes for our patients.  We are the largest unit within Vanderbilt University Hospital system with 116 beds, with an increase to 131 beds in Summer 2025.  We are a level IV tertiary care NICU that attends to the complex care needs of more than 1400 fragile newborns per year.

Why Join Our Team?

• Cutting-Edge Facilities: Work in a modern, well-equipped NICU that supports innovative treatments and practices.

• Collaborative Environment: Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team dedicated to achieving the best patient outcomes.

• Professional Development: Take advantage of ongoing training and professional growth opportunities.

Achievements: The NICU at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital is recognized for its excellence in neonatal care, evidenced by:

• Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has been named a state, regional and national leader in pediatric health care, achieving the title of No. 1 children’s hospital in Tennessee and sharing the top spot in the Southeast, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.

• A strong history of Magnet designation, reflecting our commitment to nursing excellence and high-quality patient care.

• Recognized as a Leapfrog Top Hospital, highlighting our dedication to the highest standards of safety and quality in healthcare.

• Member of Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) data registry for national and international ECMO Centers. Since 2008, Monroe Carell's ECMO Program has been recognized as an ELSO Center of Excellence. We were awarded this honor at the Platinum level in 2023 for our commitment to patient quality and outcomes, training and collaboration.

Continuous Improvement and Engagement:

• Actively involved with the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (TIPQC), which seeks to improve health outcomes for mothers and infants in Tennessee.

• Member of the Vermont Oxford Network is a nonprofit voluntary collaboration of health care professionals working together to improve the quality, safety, and value of care for newborn infants and their families through a coordinated program of data-driven quality improvement, education, and research.

• Annual Vanderbilt Neonatal Symposium (https://pediatrics.vumc.org/events/neonatal-symposium)

Why Nashville?
Nashville, known for its rich music heritage and offers an unparalleled quality of life. From its thriving arts and entertainment districts to its beautiful parks and friendly communities, Nashville is an ideal place to live and work. Enjoy a city that perfectly blends the charm of Southern hospitality with the excitement of urban living.

Relocation available for candidates over 100+ miles from Nashville, TN

• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner NNP, Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner CPNP-AC, or Physician Assistant PA (NICU PA Fellowship Required)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Obtains and documents a health history for a neonate. Performs and documents complete, system-focused, or symptom-specific physical examination, assessment and plan of care.

• Provides neonatal healthcare services for critically ill and complex patients. Manages patient's 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 in the neonatal population.

• Prescribes therapeutic interventions both pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic and surgical, needed to achieve expected outcomes.

• Performs delivery room service and neonatal transport services, initiates appropriate referrals and consultations, and provides consultation services as requested within 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

• Professionalism (Advanced): Demonstrates behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in medical center committees, professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.

• Interpersonal and Communication Skills (Advanced): Demonstrates interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families, and other members of health care teams. Communicates practice knowledge effectively both orally and in writing.

• Practice-Based Scholarly Inquiry and Integration (Advanced): Demonstrates the use of scientific evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate and improve patient care practices. Anticipates variations in practice and is proactive in implementing interventions to improve quality. Uses best available evidence to continuously improve quality of clinical practice. Generates knowledge from clinical practice to improve practice and patient outcomes. Reviews data and evidences to improve advanced practice. Integrates knowledge from the humanities and sciences within the context of nursing science.

• 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. Employs 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 application of clinical knowledge.

• Health Systems and Policy Management (Advanced): Demonstrates sufficient fundamental proficiency in behaviors that reflect a commitment to continuous professional development, ethical practice, and a responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession and society. Participates in professional organizations and activities that influence advanced practice.

 Our Nursing Philosophy:  

We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s mission of quality in patient care, education and research. We believe nursing is an applied art and science focused on helping people, families and communities reach excellent health and well-being. 

As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center employee, you make a difference to our patients and their families by bringing compassion and care to those in need of hope and healing. Please see our current employee benefits offered:

• Affordable High Quality Health Plan Options
• Dental and /or vision plan
• 403 (b) retirement plan
• Paid Time off (flex PTO)
• Tuition Reimbursement and adoption assistance (maximums applied)
• Short-Long term disability
• Subsidized backup childcare
• And many more... Ask us about our current inpatient nursing supplemental Pay Program!

Achieve the Remarkable: 

Learn more about VUMC Nursing here.

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Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.