APP Manager (NP or PA) - Cardiac OR

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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APP Manager, Cardiac OR (CVOR)

The APP Manager, Cardiac OR (CVOR) is a newly created leadership position responsible for the operational oversight, staffing, and performance management of the Cardiac OR First Assist team, including Advanced Practice Providers (NPs/PAs) and First Assist clinicians (e.g., RNFAs) supporting a high-acuity cardiac surgery program.

This leader will partner closely with surgeons, perioperative leadership, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable intraoperative coverage across a fast-paced CVOR environment. The ideal candidate combines strong clinical expertise in cardiac surgery with proven leadership capabilities, bringing the ability to develop teams, optimize staffing operations, and support excellence in patient care.

Program Highlights

• High-acuity Cardiac OR supporting complex surgical procedures
• One of the region's fastest-growing heart transplant programs
• Performed a world record number of heart transplants in 2024 and 2025.
• Five dedicated cardiac operating rooms, with an occasional sixth room in operation
• High-volume environment with variable daily case volume, often ranging from 6 to 10+ cases per day
• Participation in heart and lung donor procurement workflows

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Provide direct leadership and management for the CVOR First Assist team, consisting of fewer than 20 clinicians.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Lead employee engagement, performance management, coaching, and career development initiatives.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, retention, and succession planning efforts.

Staffing & Operations

• Develop and manage staffing schedules to ensure consistent intraoperative coverage for cardiac surgery services.
• Coordinate staffing plans with perioperative leadership and surgeons to meet evolving operational demands.
• Anticipate and address coverage needs related to case volume fluctuations, urgent or emergent cases, and donor procurement activities.
• Implement contingency plans and staffing solutions to maintain operational continuity and patient safety.

Performance & Professional Development

• Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing coaching and feedback.
• Support orientation, training, and competency validation for first-assist practice.
• Identify opportunities for professional growth and skill development across the team.
• Address performance concerns in a timely and constructive manner.

Quality, Safety & Process Improvement

• Promote best practices and standardization of cardiac first-assist workflows.
• Partner with clinical and operational leaders to improve efficiency, communication, and team effectiveness.
• Advance a culture focused on quality outcomes, patient safety, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor and support compliance with organizational, regulatory, and professional standards.

Clinical Practice

• Depending on department needs, the manager may maintain a limited clinical role, including CVOR first-assist responsibilities and/or participation in donor procurement activities.
• The clinical-to-administrative time allocation may vary based on operational needs.

Work Schedule

• Primarily day-shift hours
• Schedule may vary based on surgical volume, staffing needs, and donor procurement activity
• Flexibility may be required to support operational demands and department priorities

Required Qualifications

• Current Tennessee licensure, as applicable, in one of the following:
  • Nurse Practitioner (NP)
  • Physician Assistant (PA)
• Significant experience supporting cardiac surgery as a first assist in a CVOR setting.
• Demonstrated understanding of complex cardiac surgical workflows, including conduit and vein harvesting, intraoperative support, and high-acuity case management.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills with the ability to build trust and effectively manage teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous leadership, supervisory, or management experience within a surgical service line, operating room, or APP practice.
• Experience supporting heart transplant programs and donor procurement operations.
• Demonstrated success in staffing optimization, scheduling, performance management, and process improvement initiatives.
• Experience leading highly specialized clinical teams in a complex healthcare environment.

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

• Strong clinical credibility within the cardiac surgery environment
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with surgeons, anesthesia teams, nursing staff, and operational leaders
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities
• Effective decision-making in high-pressure, rapidly changing environments
• Ability to prioritize competing demands while maintaining focus on quality and patient safety

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to lead and help shape a highly specialized CVOR First Assist program within a growing cardiac surgery service. The APP Manager will play a critical role in supporting complex cardiac and transplant procedures while building a strong team culture, enhancing operational effectiveness, and contributing to exceptional patient outcomes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develops and leads an advanced practice operational and strategic infrastructure aligned with entity goals. Reports to the Director for Advanced Practice, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities. 
• Leads individuals, teams across disciplines, and works with all levels of members in a multidisciplinary environment. 
• Balances clinical practice with administrative duties to ensure high-quality, cost-effective care. Provides operational direction for team leaders and front-line clinicians. Oversees daily operations, staffing, and resource allocation for APCs. 
• Provides expertise on advanced practice regulations and oversees the credentialing and privilege process for APCs. Works in collaboration with Vanderbilt Credentialing Services (VCS) to ensure compliance. 
• Assists with program development, personnel supervision, and performance management. Supports quality data tracking and outcome-based performance initiatives to enhance patient care. Ensures evidence-based practice integration and promotes research-driven clinical excellence. 
• Manages assigned cost centers, ensuring fiscal responsibility. Works toward productivity benchmarks and operational goals to optimize clinical operations
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

 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.

Core Accountabilities:

* Organizational Impact: Directs activities to achieve operational plans with some near term effect on results of the department/area.* Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Identifies issues, gathers facts to resolve technical and operational problems. * Breadth of Knowledge: Applies in-depth knowledge and skills of a professional/technical area and basic management knowledge to manage the work of the team.* Team Interaction: Leads a complex department with a focus on implementation. Typically executes on a short to medium term strategies.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships. - Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences .Delivering Excellent Services : - Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them. - Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly. - Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches. - Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges. - Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

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This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

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.