Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Acute Care PRN

Acute Care Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) PRN

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Join Vanderbilt University Hospital's Acute Care Speech-Language Pathology team and help care for medically complex adult patients in one of the nation's leading academic medical centers. This PRN opportunity is ideal for experienced acute care SLPs seeking flexibility, clinical challenge, and the opportunity to work alongside nationally recognized healthcare professionals.

Why Acute Care SLPs Choose Vanderbilt

At Vanderbilt, SLPs practice at the top of their license and are trusted members of the interdisciplinary care team. You'll collaborate directly with physicians and rehabilitation specialists while treating medically complex patients across trauma, critical care, neurology, transplant, oncology, and specialty medicine services.

At Vanderbilt, SLPs:

• Treat high-acuity patients in a nationally recognized academic medical center
• Evaluate and manage complex dysphagia cases using evidence-based practices
• Utilize advanced swallowing assessment techniques, including FEES
• Partner directly with physicians and multidisciplinary care teams
• Exercise strong clinical autonomy and decision-making
• Access professional development and continuing education opportunities
• Build expertise across ICU, trauma, neuro, transplant, and specialty populations
• Frequently transition from PRN to full-time career opportunities within Vanderbilt Health

Considering a future full-time opportunity?

Many of our full-time Acute Care Speech-Language Pathologists began their Vanderbilt careers in PRN roles, gaining firsthand experience with our collaborative culture, diverse patient populations, and clinical practice environment before making a long-term career commitment.

What You'll Do

As an Acute Care Speech-Language Pathologist, you will evaluate and treat adult patients with:

• Dysphagia and swallowing disorders
• Speech and language impairments
• Cognitive-communication deficits
• Voice disorders

Additional responsibilities include:

• Performing comprehensive speech-language pathology evaluations
• Providing evidence-based treatment interventions in the acute care setting
• Assessing medically complex patients across hospital units, including ICU and progressive care settings
• Collaborating with physicians, nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and respiratory therapists
• Conducting clinical swallowing assessments and dysphagia management
• Supporting safe discharge planning and patient-centered care
• Maintaining timely and compliant documentation in Epic

Qualifications

Required

• Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from an accredited program
• ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP)
• Active Tennessee Speech-Language Pathology license
• Clinical Fellowship completed prior to application
• Minimum one year of recent acute care hospital experience within the last two years
• Experience evaluating and treating dysphagia in hospitalized adult patients
• Strong competency in bedside swallow evaluations and dysphagia management
• Experience caring for medically complex patients

Preferred

• FEES competency or significant hands-on clinical exposure
• Experience in a Level I Trauma Center, academic medical center, or large tertiary care hospital
• ICU, ventilator, and tracheostomy patient management experience
• Experience with stroke, TBI, and other neurologic populations
• Advanced clinical decision-making skills with high-acuity patients
• Epic EMR experience
• Expertise in evidence-based dysphagia assessment and treatment

PRN Commitment

To ensure successful onboarding and clinical integration:

• Availability of 3 to 5 days per week during the initial 6 to 8-week orientation period
• Ongoing PRN availability following orientation
• Consistent availability strongly preferred

Apply Today

If you're an experienced Acute Care Speech-Language Pathologist, Medical SLP, Hospital Speech Therapist, Dysphagia Specialist, or CCC-SLP looking for a rewarding PRN opportunity in Nashville, we encourage you to apply and join Vanderbilt Health's nationally recognized rehabilitation team.