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

Job Description

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: 4 days per week - 10 hour shifts. 7:00am-5:00pm

• Office call required

Essential Functions: 

• Demonstrates clinical expertise and expanded knowledge through patient care activities which may include diagnosis and management of a wide range of health problems.
• Responsible for health outcome of an assigned patient population.
• Confers with collaborating physician and other health professionals in area of clinical expertise.
• Develops appropriate educational systems for patients, families and staff in areas of expertise.
• Mentors graduate students in aspects of advanced practice and patient care.
• Actively participates in quality improvement and/or research pertinent to area of expertise. 

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. 

ADDENDUM:

In addition to the standard Advanced Practice Provider responsibilities, 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

Core Responsibilities

1. Clinical Evaluation & Admission/Transfer

• 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

2. Patient Acquisition & Throughput

• 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

3. Collaboration & Communication

• 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

4. Patient & Family Engagement

• 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

5. Quality, Safety & Compliance

• 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

Success will be measured by:

• Appropriate and timely patient selection
• Sustainable admission volume aligned with program capacity
• Efficient hospital-to-home transfer timelines
• Patient and caregiver experience scores

AA/EOE Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Qualifications

Required:

• 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 

Preferred:

• 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

Additional Information

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check.  Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. 

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.

Sign-on Bonus Eligibility (if sign-on bonus offered for position): Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position at NM may be eligible depending upon the job family.