Cardiac Rehab Specialist I

Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Specialist

The Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Specialist plays a vital role in helping patients return to their baseline health or achieve improved functional capacity following a cardiac or pulmonary event. This position focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating individualized exercise and lifestyle management programs that promote recovery, reduce risk factors, and enhance overall quality of life. Responsibilities include comprehensive patient assessment, such as medical history review, vital sign monitoring, ECG interpretation, and functional capacity testing. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the specialist provides education on medication compliance, stress management, symptom recognition, and healthy lifestyle practices. Additional duties include developing and updating treatment plans, ensuring accurate documentation, supporting inpatient mobility, and contributing to patient safety and quality improvement initiatives. The role also involves mentoring new staff and fostering continuous improvement in departmental protocols and patient satisfaction.

Essential Functions

• Demonstrates foundational knowledge pertaining to the design, evaluation and standards of exercise programs for Cardiac and/ Or Pulmonary Rehab patients. Develops understanding of all departmental policies, protocols and procedures.
• Trained to obtain a medical history through patient interview and review of the medical record; review medications with patients; assess symptoms and vital signs; measure heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, and interpret ECGs during rest and exercise.
• Assigns and instructs appropriate exercise levels (METs) and/or modalities with respect to the patients' age, health status, physical and/or mental limitations, and capacity to perform within the exercise prescription set forth by the patient's physician. Demonstrates working knowledge of appropriate testing procedures (i.e.: Six-minute walk test, bike test, arm ergometer test, etc.) and materials in order to perform valid functional capacity testing.
• Functions as an essential member of a multidisciplinary team by directing, coordinating and providing special expertise to staff, patient and families including but not limited to day to day planning and conduction of disease specific exercise, education and lifestyle management intervention, including but not limited to nutrition, blood pressure management, medication compliance, stress management, symptom recognition, smoking cessation, lipid management, risk factor modification and independent exercise.
• Provides immediate and ongoing education/information to patient/participants regarding monitoring of their vital signs in class and at home, prescription and OTC medications, coronary artery disease risk factors, modification of exercise with regards to temperature extremes, stress reduction techniques, recognition of angina and heart attack symptoms, and appropriate increases/changes in workloads.
• Provides inpatient mobility, activities of daily living and education following a developed plan of care per delegation by therapists or floor RN. Monitors vital signs and physiological responses to activity.
• Obtains and records patient vital signs, BP, HR, O2 sats as assigned. Notes changes in the patients/participants physical, mental, and emotional status and responds in appropriate manner by addressing patients' immediate needs, notification and involvement of other staff, and subsequent follow-up with patient's physician via telephone and/or Symptom Report.
• Completes individualized treatment plans for cardiac and/or pulmonary rehab patients. Completes daily, progress notes and discharge documentation according to departmental standards. Accurately documents productivity information and has a working knowledge of insurance requirements.
• Participates in quality and patient safety initiatives. Identifies potential areas for improvement including processes that could be streamlined or revised to improve patient satisfaction. Identifies potential safety hazards that may create problems for patients and/or staff and takes appropriate actions.
• Assists in training new caregivers and students, and other duties assigned.

Skills

• Clinical assessment and monitoring
• EKG interpretation
• Symptom recognition
• Functional capacity testing
• Exercise programming
• Patient education and coaching
• Communication
• Patient Care
• Documentation
• Care coordination
• Technical proficiency to include use of rehab equipment, telemetry systems, and clinical tools
• Mentorship and training

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrates clinical competence in all expectations, knowledge, skill and duties as specified in Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Specialist I (requires supervisor approval)
• Bachelor's degree required AND cardiac related certification (CCRP, ACSM-CEP)
• Current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS-HCP)
• Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) as required by facility
• Advanced clinical exercise physiology expertise, assessment, and programming abilities
• Experience with Program design and policy leadership to include contributing to updated department protocols, policies, and program certification
• Experience with Patient education, coaching, and disease management including thorough documentation and care coordination.
• Experience with Quality and Advanced clinical exercise physiology expertise, assessment, and programming abilities
• Quality and safety leadership experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) Years of cardiac and/or pulmonary rehab experience
• Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology, Exercise Science, Kinesiology

Physical Requirements

• Ongoing need for employees to see and read information, labels, assess patient needs, operate monitors, identify equipment and supplies.
• Frequent interactions with patient care providers, patients, and visitors that require employee to verbally communicate as well as hear and understand spoken information, alarms, needs, and issues quickly and accurately, particularly during emergency situations.
• Manual dexterity of hands and fingers to manipulate complex and delicate equipment with precision and accuracy. This includes frequent computer use and typing for documenting patient care, accessing needed information, medication preparation, etc.
• Expected to lift and utilize a full range of movements to transfer patients. Will also bend to retrieve, lift, and carry supplies and equipment. Typically includes items of varying weights, up to and including heavy items.
• Need to walk and assist with transporting/ambulating patients and obtaining and distributing supplies and equipment. This includes pushing/pulling gurneys and portable equipment, including heavy items. Often required to navigate crowded and busy rooms (full of equipment, power cords on the floor, etc.)
• May be expected to stand in a stationary position for an extended period of time.

Location: Platte Valley Hospital

Work City: Brighton

Work State: Colorado

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36

The hourly range for this position is listed below. Actual hourly rate dependent upon experience.

$32.34 - $49.94