Critical Care Physician Assistant

Critical care is decided in minutes, not shifts. You will stand at the bedside of the sickest patients, translate complex physiology into clear action, and keep families, nurses, and physicians aligned when the stakes are highest. Success is measured in safer courses of care, faster recognition of decline, and teams that trust your judgment at 2 a.m. as much as at noon.

Performance Objectives

• Stabilize critically ill adults by leading initial assessment, resuscitation, and a prioritized plan within the first hour of admission or deterioration.
• Manage ventilators, vasopressors, sedation, and organ-support therapies so that daily goals of care are met and avoidable complications fall.
• Perform and document indicated procedures—central and arterial lines, intubation assistance, chest tubes, and point-of-care ultrasound—with complication rates at or below unit benchmarks.
• Run multidisciplinary rounds that produce a same-day plan every patient can act on, including antibiotic stewardship, mobility, and liberation from devices.
• Recognize sepsis, shock, respiratory failure, and neurologic emergencies early enough to start protocol-driven treatment before escalation.
• Communicate prognosis and goals of care with patients and families so decisions are documented, shared, and revisited as the clinical picture changes.
• Close every shift with accurate notes, handoff, and quality data that the oncoming team can use without rework.

Environment & Resources

You will practice in a high-acuity ICU alongside intensivists, critical care nurses, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, and case management. Expect a structured orientation, 24/7 physician backup, protocol libraries, bedside ultrasound, and an electronic record built for order sets and quality tracking. You report to the ICU medical director (or lead APP), with a defined patient panel, protected procedure time, and a schedule that balances nights, weekends, and recovery. Continuing education and procedural proctoring are part of the role, not an afterthought.

Essential Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited PA program and NCCPA certification, with an active state license and DEA registration (or eligibility to obtain both before start).
• At least two years of critical care, emergency, or high-acuity inpatient experience managing ventilated and hemodynamically unstable patients.
• Demonstrated competence in airway support, vascular access, and interpretation of labs, imaging, ABGs, and hemodynamics tied to real-time decisions.
• Current BLS and ACLS; ATLS, FCCS, or equivalent critical-care coursework preferred.
• Clear, calm communication with families and teams under time pressure, including documented goals-of-care conversations.
• Comfort with evidence-based protocols, quality metrics, and accurate, timely documentation.

Why This Role

• True critical-care scope: procedures, resuscitations, and independent daily management—not a paperwork-only APP seat.
• Physician partnership with backup that is present, not theoretical, plus a defined path to procedural autonomy.
• A team that treats nights and weekends as core practice, with schedule equity and recovery built in.
• Investment in ultrasound, simulation, and CME so your skills stay current with the unit’s sickest patients.
• Impact you can see: fewer unplanned escalations, cleaner handoffs, and families who understand the plan.

Apply

If you want your next shift measured by lives stabilized and teams made sharper, apply with a CV that shows your ICU outcomes, procedures, and the units where you have already done this work. We review applications on a rolling basis and respond to qualified candidates quickly.