Physical Therapist I - Acute Care

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: B.S., M.S., or D.P.T degree from accredited physical therapy school. Previous hospital experience preferred.

LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, and/or REGISTRATION: Current licensure in the state of applicable state and CPR certification in Basic Life Support, Level C.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Adheres to the general hospital standards to promote a cooperative work environment by utilizing communication skills, interpersonal relationships and team building. Following hospital policies and procedures. Following departmental policies and procedures. Contributing to the overall quality of services. Assuming responsibility for keeping informed about changes in policies and procedures
2. Provides patient care assessment and treatment. Ensures patient evaluations and treatments are comprehensive, functional and according to the Standard of Practice. Provides sound professional judgment in interpreting the evaluation results and establishing an acceptable treatment plan with realistic goals. Encourages patients and significant others in setting goals. Recognizes and responds to changes in the patient's physiologic state. Recommends next level of care. Ensures quality patient outcomes. Supervises support staff who are assisting with patient care by providing direction and feedback.
3. Maintains accurate documentation. Completes written patient evaluations, progress notes, and discharge notes per policy. Ensures accurate and timely documentation of patient/family education, charges and departmental statistics, and ICD-10 codes as appropriate. Maintains patient records in a systematic order.
4. Ensures that documentation is legible.
5. Meets department financial and productivity standards. Understands the budgeted expectations. Maintains productivity standards. Adjusts individual schedules to meet the needs of the patient and department.
6. Participates in process management to optimize quality and efficiency of services. Identifies quality and operational opportunities. Participates in process management and communicates progress barriers to supervisor. Researches and suggests evidence based best practices to improve the quality of patient care.

1. Promotes professional development and education of other health care workers and provides representation on committees. Conducts in-service training programs to provide state-of-the-art information to health care workers and enhances safety. Understands changes/developments in the profession locally, at the state level, and nationally. Shares clinical expertise with other therapists, student affiliates, and other health care professionals.
2. Communicates effectively. Communicates in a professional and timely manner with patients, physicians, staff, and all external customers. Responds to questions by staff. Promotes an open atmosphere of communication. Shares information learned from seminars. Informs supervisor of issues and resolutions to potential problems. Communicates information with patient and family and ensures understanding
3. Provides appropriate patient care in accordance with age/developmental guidelines. Demonstrates age/developmentally specific knowledge, skills, and abilities for the patients served. Utilizes knowledge of age/developmentally specific data when assessing patients. Interprets age/developmentally specific response to treatment/activity accurately. Maintains competence related to age/developmentally specific patient care by regularly updating knowledge of growth and development and the aging process.

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Able to communicate on a professional level with physicians, nurses, and other health care providers and provide quality care for patients.

• Able to communicate with patients of all age groups and significant others appropriate to the level of comprehension.

• Has knowledge, clinical skills, and understanding of the patient throughout the entire span of life.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Subject to stress conditions.

• Moderate noise environment.

• Clean, well-lit comfortable climate; however, occasional conditions with high moisture content.

• Frequent exposure to bloodborne pathogens and airborne pathogens, may be exposed to infectious and contagious diseases.

• Contact with patients under a wide variety of circumstances.

• May make home visits.

• Exposure to unpleasant patient elements, body fluids.

• Subject to electro-mechanical hazards.

• Exposure to chemicals used in cleaning.

• Occasionally handles emergency or crises situations.

• Required personal protective equipment eye protection, face protection, gown, mask, lab coat and sterile and non-sterile gloves, shoe covers.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

0%35%65%tototo35%65%100%N/AActivityXStandingXWalkingXSittingXBendingXReaching with armsXFinger and hand dexterityXTalkingXHearingXSeeingLifting, carrying, pushing and or pulling:X20 lbs. maximumX50 lbs. maximumX100 lbs. maximum