Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
What is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner?
Acute care is a type of healthcare where patients receive short-term treatment for a sudden illness or injury.
An acute care nurse practitioner provides specialized care to patients recovering from traumatic injury, surgery, and other medical conditions.
Our Acute Care Units are supported by an innovative care model known as Trinity Health Virtual Connected Care™, which introduces onsite Virtual RNs to the care team. Virtual RNs are able to communicate directly with patients via an in-room TV monitor, giving patients access to their care team at any time.
This offers an additional layer of support to bedside nurses and their care partners, as the Virtual RN can provide extra resources and mentorship as needed. This is especially valuable to our early career nurses, helping them build confidence while providing complex care.
Our 32-bed Surgical/Trauma Unit works across the full spectrum of trauma and acute care surgical procedures, including thoracotomies, colon resections, bariatric procedures, multiple laparoscopic procedures, gastrointestinal, vascular, Whipple’s and oncological procedures. Our patient population is unique in that you must manage the trauma and surgical aspects of nursing as well as balancing the medical components of each patient.
As part of a Level II Trauma Center, we have two specialized units dedicated to caring for an expansive orthopedic patient population. Depending on their unique care needs, patients are routed to one of the following:
- Our Ortho/Neuro Trauma unit has 32 beds and is dedicated to higher acuity cases – typically asociated with complex trauma-related injuries, including multi-extremity and compound factures.
- Our 16 bed Ortho/Med-Surg Unit cares for surgical patients as well as those admitted via the Emergency Department. The patients are often recovering from injuries due to falls and may have further complications related to other medical conditions.
Orthopedic patients are a joy to work with because of their motivation to aid in their own healing and recovery. They are frequently happy, grateful, and positive thinking in their outlook.
Our 40-bed Medical Oncology Unit cares for a diverse patient population, both in age and medical conditions. This gives our nurses the opportunity to develop top-notch critical thinking and clinical skills that will be crucial to their future. When caring for our younger patients, we see them through what can be the lowest point of their life and help them re-enter the world with a newfound appreciation for their health. On the other end of the spectrum, we often care for patients in end-of-life situations, easing the journey for both patient and family during that time.
With 36 beds, our Nampa Acute Care Unit sees patients with Medical, Surgical, and Orthopedic needs, giving our nurses exposure to a range of medical conditions and illnesses. This experience helps develop strong critical thinking skills, as well as a level of clinical expertise that will stay with them throughout their career. The hospital building is new, and both patients and staff enjoy the natural light and open rooms. While smaller than our Boise location, our acute care nurses enjoy a strong sense of community, and are able to work closely with other units, developing relationships that aid in their career development.