The George Washington University Hospital offers a one-year Trauma and Critical Care post-graduate residency program for new-to-practice nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The residency program provides training in trauma, critical care, and many surgical subspecialties with the goal to establish a dedicated path for the APP resident to develop the skills necessary to care for critically ill and acutely injured patients through hands-on experience, didactic education, and mentorship.
About APPs
Physician Assistants
A physician assistant (PA) is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional. PAs practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers. They practice and prescribe medication in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories, with the exception of Puerto Rico.
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners (NP) are master or doctoral prepared nurses that can diagnose, treat, and manage illness across the spectrum. When moving from bedside nursing to advanced practice nursing, NPs choose a course of study specific to the population they will be treating – such as acute care, family practice, mental health, and others. NPs enrolled within our Trauma and Critical Care Residency must be board certified in Acute Care.
Together
With a growing patient population and increasing resident work-hour restrictions, APPs are critical to meeting the needs of patients everywhere. Advanced practitioners complement the role of physicians, collaborating to deliver high-quality patient care and improve outcomes in a constantly changing healthcare environment.
About the Program
Critical/Trauma Care Residency in Washington DC
The APP will function as a member of their respective team and develop greater independence over the course of a year. While on the trauma service, the APP resident will begin caring for trauma patients admitted to the surgical floor units, and will expand to trauma consultations, participating in and leading trauma activations, and trauma ICU patient care as well as spending some time in the operating room. During their time with the critical care team, the APP resident will work at the bedside with experienced APPs and gradually assume more responsibility until fully independent. ICU learning will include development of procedural skills including use of ultrasound and ventilator management. Overnight call will be incorporated throughout rotations to expose APP residents to new challenges, growing autonomy, and the greater potential for critically ill patients.
- The APP resident will work five to six days per week and average 60-80 hours per week.
- Hours may be split between clinical rotations, on-site training, reading, conferences and research activities. Specific schedules will be set by the rotation coordinator and directors.
- Schedules will consist of rotating days, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
- Weekly conference time and conference time will be protected.
- APP residents will be provided three weeks of paid vacation and one week of a paid conference.
- Responsibilities
-
- Attendance on daily team rounds and proficiency in the presentation of assigned patients
- Providing clinical services for critically ill patients with multi-system disease
- Ordering and interpreting appropriate diagnostic testing
- Developing and implementing treatment plans for critical illness
- Performing necessary procedures with supervision
- Communication with consulting services and with patient families
- Participation in professional development through curriculum, development, research and continuing education opportunities
- Completion of the Advanced Trauma Life Support course
- Completion of Fundamental Critical Care Support course
- Completion of APP residency project to be presented at Grand Rounds during the month of graduation from our program
- Time commitment
-
- The APP resident will work five to six days per week and average 60-80 hours per week.
- Hours may be split between clinical rotations, on-site training, reading, conferences and research activities. Specific schedules will be set by the rotation coordinator and directors.
- Schedules will consist of rotating days, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
- Weekly conference time and conference time will be protected.
- APP residents will be provided three weeks of paid vacation and one week of a paid conference.
- Supervision
-
Residents will be supervised and mentored by attending physicians, fellows, PAs and ACNPs. An affiliate provider mentor is paired with the resident for the majority of the rotations. There will be both structured and informal mentorship opportunities throughout the program and scheduled time for evaluations and feedback.
- Opportunities for Professional Development
-
- Practical skills development
- Conference attendance
- Research involvement and publication
- Career mentoring
- Salary and Benefits
-
- Yearly stipend commensurate with current pay scale for GW medical and surgical resident trainees
- Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Malpractice insurance
- Paid time off accrued per pay period
- 5 paid CME days
- $1500 CME allowance
- Lab coat and clinical team jacket