VUMC Advanced Practice Fellowship

Vanderbilt University Medical Center Advanced Practice Fellowship Program

Focused on facilitating successful transitions to practice and enabling APRNs/PAs to immerse themselves in specialty practice settings, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Advanced Practice (AP) Fellowship program provides post-graduate clinical and educational experiences. 

Within a protected learning environment, the fellowship prepares the new graduate or an experienced APRN/PA to provide quality, evidence-based patient care within a diverse and complex healthcare environment. The core fellowship curriculum will include evidence-based and practice-based learning, quality outcome identification and measurement, leadership and practice model development, organizational enculturation, and professional development. The practice-specific curriculum will include direct patient care, simulation training, and didactic courses on topics related to the patient population. Currently, fellowships are being offered in the following practice specialties: solid organ transplant, urology, and colorectal surgery.   

Fellows are expected to be engaged and active participants in their educational journey and will evaluate their progress through collaborative appraisals and self-reflection and identify and resolve educational and experiential gaps.

Future fellowships in other advanced practice areas are currently in development.

Program Goals:

  • Provision of a focused learning experience that enables the APRN/PA to develop and refine essential specialty-specific clinical and critical thinking skills promoting top-of-license practice
  • Immersion into an environment of collaborative multidisciplinary care that assures cost-effective, quality, patient-centered care
  • Expanded incorporation of evidenced-based practice into care and utilization of improvement processes to enhance quality and care delivery processes

Eligibility Criteria

  • Master’s or higher degree 
  • Eligible for or active national board certification in one of the following:

Colorectal Surgery AP Fellowship:  Graduation from an accredited institution granting one of the following graduate degrees:  Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) or Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP).                                                                             
Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Center Website   

Medical & Surgical Weight Loss AP Fellowship: Graduation from an accredited institution granting one of the following graduate degrees: Preferred Family Nurse Practice (FNP), Adult-Gero Primary Care (AGPCNP), or Physician Assistant (PA).    Vanderbilt Weight Loss Center Website

Oncology: AP Fellowship: Graduation from an accredited institution granting one of the following graduate degrees/Certifications: Physician Assistant (PA), Adult Geriatric Primary Care (AG-PCNP), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP), or Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP). Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Website           

Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (O-HNS): Graduation from an accredited institution granting one of the following graduate degrees/Certifications: Physician Assistant (PA), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), or Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) Vanderbilt Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery

Psychiatric Mental Health APRN Fellowship: Graduation from an accredited institution granting the following graduate degree: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).   Vanderbilt Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences                

Solid OrganTransplant AP Fellowship: Graduation from an accredited institution granting a graduate degree as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP) or Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP), Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-PCNP), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP).                                                                                                                                                        Vanderbilt Transplant Website       

Urology AP Fellowship: Graduation from an accredited institution granting one of the following graduate degrees: Physician Assistant (PA), Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP), Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP), Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP), or Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). Vanderbilt Urology Clinic Website                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

  • Eligible for/or unencumbered Tennessee Board of Nursing RN /APN or Physician Assistant license
  • Eligible for or active DEA certificate
  • Satisfactory background check
  • Ability to work 40 hours per week
  • Current Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification
  • Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification (may be required for some Fellowships)

 Applications

  • Please apply VUMC Advanced Practice Fellowships...(search " Advanced Practice Fellowship")                                                                                            
    • Certified Nursing Midwife -  application period- Closed  

    • Colorectal Surgery - application period- Closed

    • Medical & Surgical Weight Loss - applications - Open 

    • Oncology:

      • Hematology - Applications - Open

      • Surgical - Applications - Open

    • Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (O-HNS) - Applications - Open (Please e-mail otoappfellowship@vumc.org  for application information)

    • Psychiatric Mental Health - Applications - Open   

    • Solid Organ Transplant - Application period- Closed

    • Urology - Applications - Closed                                                                                                                                              

Documents to accompany the completed application

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Contact information for 3 references who can speak to your clinical and interpersonal skills (faculty instructor, supervisor, physician or AP peer)

Documents to prepare for later submission

  • Official transcripts
  • Copies of BLS and ACLS certification (when applicable) 
  • Copies of board certification(s) and/or proof of "pending" status
  • Copy of state nursing license(s) and/or proof of "pending" status

 

Would you like to know more about the Vanderbilt Health AP Fellowships?

Please email buffy.lupear@vumc.org for more information