Supervisor - PA or CRNP (ACNP) - UPP Neurosurgery UPMC Mercy

University of Pittsburgh Physicians is hiring a Full-Time Supervisor Physician Assistant or Acute Care Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner to help support the Neurosrugery department.

Hours: Full-time 40 hours per week - 13-hour shifts nights/days
Location: UPMC Mercy
The Neurosurgery APP Supervisor is an experienced Advanced Practice Provider responsible for the clinical and operational leadership of the inpatient and outpatient APP teams at UPMC Mercy. This is a highly autonomous, clinically active leadership position requiring advanced neurosurgical knowledge, strong independent clinical judgment, and demonstrated expertise in the education and professional development of neurosurgical APPs.
The supervisor must be comfortable practicing in a Level I Trauma Center and managing complex, acutely ill neurosurgical patients across the continuum of care. The role requires the ability to move between inpatient and outpatient settings based on clinical and operational needs and to provide hands-on support when patient acuity, staffing, or service demands require it. The Mercy inpatient environment includes ICU, stepdown, acute care, rehabilitation, and emergency consult management.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership

• Function as a highly independent and experienced neurosurgical APP.
• Provide direct patient care in both the inpatient and outpatient settings as needed.
• Evaluate and manage complex neurosurgical patients, including critically ill, trauma, perioperative, and postoperative patients.
• Perform and oversee neurosurgical consultations throughout the hospital.
• Recognize acute neurologic deterioration and initiate appropriate evaluation, treatment, and escalation of care.
• Serve as a clinical resource for APPs managing difficult or high-acuity cases.
• Maintain the ability to rapidly prioritize competing clinical needs within a busy trauma environment.

APP Education and Professional Development

• Lead clinical education, onboarding, orientation, and ongoing competency development of neurosurgical APPs.
• Develop and standardize educational resources, clinical expectations, workflows, and practice standards.
• Provide direct clinical teaching, mentorship, and case-based education.
• Identify knowledge or competency gaps and develop targeted education to address them.
• Support new APPs in progressing toward safe, independent neurosurgical practice.
• Promote evidence-based practice and continued development of advanced neurosurgical knowledge.
• Partner with physicians and APP leadership to ensure APP education aligns with service needs and standards of care.

Team Leadership and Operations

• Provide day-to-day leadership and clinical oversight for Mercy inpatient and outpatient neurosurgical APPs.
• Promote accountability, communication, collaboration, and consistent clinical practice across the team.
• Coordinate APP resources across inpatient and outpatient services based on volume, acuity, staffing, and operational needs.
• Assist with recruitment, onboarding, retention, scheduling, and workforce planning.
• Participate in quality improvement, patient safety, workflow development, and other departmental initiatives.
• Serve as the primary APP leadership presence for the Mercy neurosurgery service and facilitate communication between APPs, attending neurosurgeons, residents, nursing, and departmental leadership.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• PA-C or CRNP with active Pennsylvania licensure and appropriate national certification.
• Significant clinical experience in neurosurgery or a closely related high-acuity surgical/neurocritical care environment.
• Demonstrated ability to practice with a high degree of clinical independence.
• Experience managing complex and acutely deteriorating patients in an inpatient setting.
• Demonstrated experience in APP education, onboarding, mentorship, precepting, or professional development, with a strong preference for experience specifically educating neurosurgical APPs.
• Ability and willingness to practice in both inpatient and outpatient neurosurgery.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to remain effective and make sound clinical decisions in a fast-paced Level I Trauma Center environment.

See what being an Advanced Practice Provider can do for UPMC and what UPMC can do for Advanced Practice Providers – it’s more than just a job!

What Can You Bring to UPMC?

• Contribute to UPMC’s mission of Life Changing Medicine
• Set the standards for the level and quality of care for the care delivery team
• Provide patient care activities for a group of patients and their families through the application of independent judgment, communication, and collaboration with all team members.
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with physicians, other health care providers, patients, and their families, to achieve desired patient outcomes throughout the continuum of care.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the community and to your health care profession

What Can UPMC Do for You?

• A career path that provides you with the right experience to be successful in the position you want to obtain now and, in the future
• Health and welfare benefits like medical, vision, dental, and life and disability, and an exceptional retirement program
• Work life balance to help manage other important aspects of your life such as: PTO, wellness programs, paid parental leave
• Competitive pay for the work that you do – base pay, merit, and premium pay

Purpose:
The Supervisor, APP is a Physician Assistant or Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner and a member of the care delivery team. The Supervisor, APP is responsible to set the standards for the level and quality of care. The Supervisor, APP coordinates and oversees all physician assistant and certified nurse practitioner functions. The Supervisor, APP has responsibility, authority and accountability for the provision of care through supervision by and collaboration with a physician. The Supervisor, APP manages and provides patient care activities for a group of patients and their families through the application of independent judgment, communication and collaboration with all team members. The role of the Supervisor, APP encompasses leadership, partnership, collaboration and supervision. The Supervisor, APP establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with physicians, other health care providers, patients and their families, to achieve desired patient outcomes throughout the continuum of care. The Supervisor, APP demonstrates a commitment to the community and to their healthcare profession.

Responsibilities:

• Actively participates in department or practice-specific quality improvement efforts. Identifies opportunity for quality improvement to colleagues, management, and members of the healthcare team. Takes personal responsibility in improving patient satisfaction with the quality of care and service. Utilizes research and evidence-based practice to support improvement in clinical care: identifies research issues or articles related to clinical specialty or areas of interest, discusses opportunities for quality improvement at multidisciplinary rounds, and influences patients' plans of care.
• Applies basic educational principles in teaching of patients, families, students and new staff. Provides education to patients and families to effectively guide them through the episode of care as well as transition to another level of care and/or home. Supports the development of students, staff and colleagues, may serve as a preceptor. Creates an environment of open dialogue, inquiry and continuous development by asking for feedback and improving practice.
• Applies principles of acceptable professional practice. Formulates a plan of care for patients that involves the patient as partner and considers the individual needs of the patient. Demonstrates critical thinking in all areas of professional practice. Practices solid communication skills, and is able to articulate and translate the patient's condition to other care providers and to negotiate and make recommendations for changes in patient care and clinical practice. Patient documentation is comprehensive and promotes communication between caregivers. Incorporates acceptable standards of professional practice as well as business unit and health system's goals to improve patient safety, quality and satisfaction Builds relationships with patients, families and colleagues.
• Develops and maintains productive working relationships internally and externally by demonstrating accountability for actions, enthusiasm, motivation and commitment to patients and colleagues. Demonstrates an understanding of cultural differences and holds peers accountable for healthy relationships. Maintains a conscious balance between work and personal life. Models safe work hours, time management and healthy lifestyle. Communicates with peers, members of the healthcare team, and management any safety hazards identified in the workplace.
• Provides departmental leadership to direct, supervise, and manage daily activities of the PAs and CRNPs; completes annual performance evaluations in conjunction with support staff. Participates in recruitment, evaluation, and management of PA and CRNP employees. Implements, maintains, monitors, and communicates Human Resources policies pertaining to PAs and CRNPs. Facilitates training of staff for all PAs and CRNPs. Oversee staff adherence to compliance requirements including documentation, coding, licensure, internal and external audits, compliance and safety training (OSHA). Organize and oversee staffing of clinical sites with attending physician and Director of Operations. Troubleshoot problems in clinical areas. Work in conjunction with clinical staff to resolve issues. Liaison for all advanced practice providers for each site. This would include communication to the division management and physicians on behalf of the advanced practice providers, as well as communication to the APPs from management. Primary contact for patient complaints or other clinical issues on behalf of the physician in his/her absence. Act as a liaison to and preceptor for PA and CRNP students. Assist staff in preparation of conferences.
• Demonstrates accountability for professional development that improves the quality of professional practice and the quality of patient care. Actively participates in practice and clinical setting specific goal setting and supports the change and transition process to improve quality of care and the practice environment. Serves as a highly engaged and full partner on the care team and responds willingly to care team member needs for assistance and partnership. Participates in work that improves patient care and the professional practice environment. Adapts to change and demonstrates flexibility with the change process.