<p>A high-volume academic neurosurgery program at a Level I Trauma Center in Columbia, Missouri is seeking an experienced Inpatient Neurosurgery Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant to join a collaborative team of fellowship-trained neurosurgeons. This role offers a substantive procedural scope — spanning cranial and spinal first-assist, lumbar punctures, drain management, and telemedicine stroke call — within one of the Midwest's premier university health systems. The schedule is a true four-day workweek on 10-hour shifts, and the position qualifies for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, making it an exceptional fit for APPs carrying graduate school debt.</p>
<h3>Perks and Benefits</h3> <ul> <li>Competitive base salary plus sign-on bonus</li> <li>Optional weekend shift bonus of $50 per day for additional earning potential</li> <li>Relocation allowance available</li> <li>Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible position</li> <li>Retirement plan with up to 8% employer match across both 403(b) and 457(b) accounts</li> <li>Malpractice insurance provided</li> <li>Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance</li> <li>Tuition discount extended to employee and immediate family members</li> </ul>
<h3>Practice Highlights</h3> <ul> <li>Four-day workweek, Monday–Friday, on 10-hour shifts — a genuine work-life structure rare in academic neurosurgery</li> <li>First-assist in neurosurgical procedures including both cranial and spinal cases</li> <li>Manage the full inpatient neurosurgery workflow: consults, admissions, daily rounding, and discharges</li> <li>Procedural scope includes lumbar punctures, drain management, suturing, and minor bedside procedures</li> <li>Telemedicine coverage and stroke call support integrated into the APP role</li> <li>Order and interpret diagnostic studies and laboratory work independently</li> <li>Coordinate multidisciplinary care across a Level I Trauma Center campus</li> <li>Active participation in clinical research and quality improvement initiatives within an academic health system</li> <li>Work alongside fellowship-trained neurosurgeons in a cutting-edge, university-affiliated environment</li> </ul>
<h3>Qualifications</h3> <ul> <li>Minimum 3 years of inpatient neurosurgery APP experience required</li> <li>NP candidates: active Missouri RN and APRN licensure with a Document of Recognition required</li> <li>PA candidates: graduation from an AMA-accredited PA program with active NCCPA certification required</li> <li>BLS certification required</li> <li>Comfort with the full procedural and clinical scope of inpatient neurosurgery, including cranial and spinal cases and lumbar punctures</li> </ul>
<h3>About the Community</h3> <p>Columbia, Missouri is a university city of 130,000 residents situated exactly two hours from both Kansas City and St. Louis — offering genuine big-city access without the cost or congestion. The University of Missouri anchors a vibrant downtown filled with locally owned restaurants, craft breweries, live music, and a year-round farmers market, while the cost of living runs 15–20% below the national average. Outdoor recreation is abundant, with more than 60 miles of trails including the MKT Trail, the caves and bluffs of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, and easy weekend access to the Lake of the Ozarks. Columbia's public schools rank among Missouri's best, and the university brings SEC athletics, world-class arts programming, and a diverse, well-educated community that gives the city an energy well beyond its size.</p>