Exercise Physiologist

Exercise Physiology Technician

Under supervision of the Operations Manager and according to established policies and procedures, provides direct patient assessment and management in the BMC Stress Testing Laboratories and/or Cardiac Rehabilitation & Prevention Program.

Essential Responsibilities / Duties:

• Stress Testing Management
• Knowledge of ACSM stress testing guidelines
• Evaluates patients for appropriateness of testing, patient safety, and correct type of test and protocol
• Effectively communicates pertinent information with supervising physicians, nurses, sonographers and other physiologists and ensures communication with referring physicians as needed.
• Evaluates and performs stress testing of outpatients and inpatients; including, exercise tolerance tests, stress echocardiograms, dobutamine echocardiograms, metabolic stress tests, exercise nuclear stress tests, pharmacological nuclear stress tests.
• Performs Pediatric stress testing. Exhibits knowledge of testing protocols and proper equipment usage for pediatric patients.
• Provides patient information, explains testing methods and procedures, and obtains patient consent
• Selects appropriate testing protocol according to patient clinical presentation
• Ensures recordings are of the best quality for diagnosis according to departmental practices and procedures.
• Performs ongoing clinical assessment throughout the test by monitoring cardiovascular and pulmonary parameters including symptoms, appearance, heart rate, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram
• Determines test duration and test termination as per BMC Stress Testing Lab Policy and ACSM guidelines
• Calculates and records all necessary parameters, and provides initial interpretation of electrocardiographic tracings for diagnostic purposes
• Creates the electronic record of exam, documentation of pertinent exam information, and data entry for charge capture
• Evaluates and communicates findings to medical personnel as required, following departmental practices and procedures
• Responds to medical emergencies for Stress Testing Labs and BMC Non Invasive Cardiovascular Laboratories, and assists-physicians according to BMC Non-Invasive Lab policy.
• Provides education and instruction to hospital personnel and students in methods and theories of stress testing
• Inserts peripheral intravenous lines as needed according to BMC Non Invasive Lab Policy
• Nuclear Stress Testing (specific additional duties to those as outlined above)
• Coordinates patient-specific imaging protocol with physician staff (Cardiology and/or Radiology)
• Maintain Radiation safety standards per BMC Radiation policy and procedure guidelines
• Enters basic pre-test patient data and imaging data into Apollo (medical history, radiopharmaceutical doses and administration time, etc.)
• Cardiac Rehabilitation, PAD Rehab, & Prevention Program Management
• Provides patient orientation to the Rehab Programs
• Reviews medical evaluation and implements treatment plan as developed by the Program Medical Director
• Develops specific exercise training program and training goals for each individual patient with reference to underlying medical conditions and risks of exercise
• Performs ongoing clinical assessment throughout sessions by monitoring all relevant cardiovascular parameters
• Coordination & scheduling of all adjunctive rehab services including behavioral medicine, social work, nutrition, and tobacco treatment
• Evaluates and manages periodic Individualized Treatment Plans to achieve comprehensive risk reduction goals, interventions, outcomes, and effectiveness
• Utilizes behavior modification techniques to implement change: goal setting, support, feedback, and patient empowerment
• Educates patients on cardiovascular/pulmonary topics including (but not limited to): Anatomy & Physiology, Cardiopulmonary Risk Factors, Stress Management, Exercise, and Medications.
• Assists in the scheduling of ancillary patient needs: interpreters, transportation, parking
• Completes and maintains clinical documentation of daily sessions, treatment plans, and patient discharge information, using available documentation programs.
• Analyzes cardiac rehab program outcomes for group data as a foundation for quality improvement
• Collaborates and communicates with referring providers, including the provision of a written discharge summary
• Documents and reports exercise sessions, manages appointment scheduling, and initiates and ensures charge capture processes
• Maintains Cardiac Rehab Program standards to meet American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) accreditation requirements
• Develops individual student programs including, supervision, instruction, and training all student interns
• Responds to medical emergencies for Stress Testing Laboratories and BMC Non Invasive Cardiovascular Laboratories, and assists-physicians according to BMC Non-Invasive Lab policy.
• Maintain AACVPR staff competency requirements
• Pulmonary Function Testing
• Performs metabolic testing with indirect calorimetry
• Perform basic PFT testing
• Other Duties
• Maintains current knowledge in exercise testing, indirect calorimetry and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation through regular study of emerging literature, individual instruction by supervising staff, and participation in conferences at the department, local and national level
• Maintains a working knowledge of cardiovascular medications
• Has a working knowledge of 12-lead EKGs and rhythm strip interpretation
• Communicates/collaborates with members of multidisciplinary team (nursing, physicians, sonographers, local health centers, dieticians, behavioral medicine, respiratory therapists)
• Maintains necessary records and files according to departmental practices and procedures.
• Orders equipment and supplies as needed.
• Actively participates in quality improvement initiatives in the Non-Invasive Cardiac Laboratories and Respiratory Department
• Demonstrates an ability to manage several concurrent tasks
• Work in flexible, team environment
• Maintains Boston Medical Center Behavioral Standards
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to age groups of adult and geriatric patients regularly served.
• Utilizes BMC Values as the basis for decision making and to facilitate the department and hospitals mission.
• Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures.
• Performs other [additional and related] duties as needed.
• Equipment Management
• Ensures that all equipment is in working condition before each test, and troubleshoots all equipment needs
• Manages all technical components of equipment including use of exercise stress test systems, treadmills & bicycles, metabolic cart, vital sign monitors, mobile language interpretation devices
• Monitors Daily Quality Control including: glucometer, electronic refrigerator indicators, and defibrillator
• Maintains equipment and mobilizes service personnel as needed and/or informs chief physiologist for continued follow up and management
• Must adhere to all of BMCs RESPECT behavioral standards.

Job Requirements

Education:

• Bachelors degree in Exercise Physiology required
• Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology Preferred

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Required:

BLS, ACLS, and ACSM certifications required

Experience:

Minimum three years of experience in a hospital setting, or similar setting, as an Exercise Physiologist or in Cardiac Rehab setting.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSA):

• Work requires educational preparation from a Bachelors program in exercise physiology, kinesiology, or exercise science.
• Experience in Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehabilitation setting and/or Stress Testing preferred.
• Work requires knowledge to effectively utilize the Electrocardiograph, and stress testing procedures, medical terminology and basic sciences such as Physics, Math, Anatomy and Physiology.
• Ability to present professional literature/research at departmental Journal Club Education Series
• Maintain self-directed continued education in the field of clinical exercise physiology, stress testing and/or rehabilitation
• Proficiency with Exercise testing ECG, stress echo, stress nuclear, pharmacologic, metabolic stress (CPET invasive and non-invasive) and pediatric. (no Cardiac Rehab Duties) OR Cardiac Rehab Physiology Duties plus Exercise ECG, stress echo, metabolic stress (CPET non-invasive)
• Carry out senior administrative duties as requested by chief physiologist and troubleshoot software difficulties
• Interpersonal skills sufficient to work directly with