The roles played by nurse practitioners and physician assistants have expanded exponentially during the last decade. Although existing professional advancement models for nurse practitioners/physician assistants have led to enhanced integration in different patient care units, the development of a distinctive professional identity formation is lacking. This perspective proposes a new framework to guide the planning of an educational program that provides not only clinical knowledge and technical skills but also opportunities for enhancing leadership and research skills, along with strong career mentorship. Such a program will lead to formation of a distinctive identity for critical care nurse practitioners and physician assistants, which in turn can improve job satisfaction and employee retention.