Advanced Practice Provider Critical Care Fellowship (Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants)

The purpose of the Baylor College of Medicine Advanced Practice Clinician Critical Care Fellowship is to provide a robust clinical and didactic learning experience to both Acute Care Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants beyond the traditional PA and NP primary care focus. 

The aim of the program is to provide a standard approach to learning in critical care to enhance clinical competence and confidence. Integrating well-trained nurse practitioners and physician assistants into the critical care workforce will yield enhanced patient care delivery and improved patient outcomes.

Training Rotations

Residents will also have an elective rotation in any ICU specialties. This schedule can accommodate a resident’s interest in a specific area. In all locations, the ICU team includes a staff APP and supervision under the direction of an attending intensivist physician. The critical care team may include medical residents, fellows, and rotating house staff.

Rotations include the following:

• Surgical Intensive Care Unit
• Cardiothoracic Surgical Intensive Care Unit
• Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) Critical Care
• Medical Intensive Care Unit
• Cardiac care unit
• Thoracic Surgical Intensive Care Unit
• Transplant Critical Care (Heart, Lung, Liver and Kidney)

Didactic Opportunities Include:

• Daily conference with core lectures on critical care topics
• Grand Rounds - Weekly
• Journal Clubs - Monthly
• Didactic lectures by medical faculty and staff
• Ultrasound Course and Simulation
• Quarterly Simulation – Night/Day
• Topic-Based Scenario-Based Learning Lab - Monthly

Completion of the Program

APP Fellows will be considered to have successfully completed the program if they have received an “average to above average” evaluation on every rotation, which is considered “the minimum performance standard” for completing the Baylor College of Medicine NP/PA Critical Care Fellowship Program.

Successful evaluation scores can be achieved with the following:

• Consistent attendance to all scheduled shifts, labs, and lectures
• Demonstrate an effort taken and seen by faculty and critical care team
• Adherence to policies and procedures
• Scores more significant than 75% on post-rotation examinations
• Demonstrate Professionalism 

Determining graduation status will be at the joint discretion of the APP faculty, program, and medical directors.
Continuing Medical Education

At the completion of the program, residents may apply 90 CME Category II credits. 

Remediation

Throughout their time in the program, APP trainees will periodically engage in process improvement meetings with the APP faculty, staff, and program director to discuss the APP trainee's progress and needs.

If it becomes evident that an APP trainee is at risk of being unable to successfully complete the residency program, the following will occur:

1. Program faculty and the APP trainee will meet to discuss and acknowledge deficiencies. A plan will be made and implemented to tackle said deficiencies.
2. If the APP trainee cannot meet standards despite implementing a plan for improvement, he/she may be terminated from the program. This decision will be made at the joint discretion of the faculty, program, and medical directors.

Stipend and Bonus

There is a stipend of $65,000 paid over the year. Each APP trainee receives a certificate and 90 CME Category II credits upon completion of the program.