Acute Care Inpatient Physical Therapist

Job Profile Summary

​This role focuses on assessing the needs of patients who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities and delivering therapy services to improve their developmental, physical or cognitive impairment.  In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Physical Therapy duties: Provides services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. Examines patient's medical history, evaluates their physical abilities, determines their potential to respond to therapy, and develops treatment plans.  A professional individual contributor role that may direct the work of other lower level professionals or manage processes and programs.  The majority of time is spent overseeing the design, implementation or delivery of processes, programs and policies using specialized knowledge and skills typically acquired through advanced education.   A specialist level role that is a recognized subject matter expert in job area typically obtained through advanced education and work experience.  Typically manages large projects or processes with limited oversight from manager, coaches, reviews and delegates work to lower level professionals, resolving difficult and often complex problems.

Job Overview 

This position is responsible for performing all duties of a Physical Therapist III and additionally oversees the performance of the other clinical staff within the same discipline and assists with the ongoing development of customer/staff relations and staff development to ensure the department operates in the most customer responsive and efficient manner possible.  This position assists with daily operations of their site in the absence of the Manager or Director.  This position also evaluates, develops and implements specific treatment programs for a wide variety of individual patients according to the principles and practices of physical therapy. The therapist will be educated in evaluating and treating all age groups to help patients achieve a maximum level of function using various therapeutic exercises, activities, modalities and skills. The therapist is responsible for documenting all age-appropriate patient care treatments in the medical record to comply with the policy and procedures of the department, organization and Joint Commission requirements.  May provide physical therapy coverage on a rotating basis for weekends and holidays dependent on operational need.

Job Description 

Minimum Qualifications: 

1. Bachelor's degree
2. Graduation from an approved school of Physical Therapy
3. Physical Therapy (PT) License
4. Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification   
5. Eight (8) years of experience as a Physical Therapist

Preferred Qualifications: 

1. Advanced Degree (Masters or Doctorate).

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list.  Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. 

1. Contributes to Annual Performance Assessments of the staff therapists. Coaches and mentors staff in clinical and customer relations areas.

2. Oversees and organizes the Student Programs with colleges and universities.  Organizes staff in-service schedules.

3. Assists the Director or Manager with scheduling conflicts and other staffing issues.

4. Assesses, re-assesses & treats a variety of diagnoses with a high degree of professional competency & efficiency to ensure quality patient care; Able to evaluate & treat pediatric, adolescent, geriatric & the general population. 

5. Assesses & re-assesses patient pain and develops appropriate treatment plans to assist patient in attaining maximum functional outcomes. 

6. Demonstrates knowledge of physical modalities, therapeutic exercise and other treatment skills of their discipline and expertise.  Ability to observe and evaluate treatment effect and adjust plan of care as appropriate.

7. Interacts professionally with patient/caregiver and involves patient/caregiver in the formation of plan of care; formulates a teaching plan based upon identified learning, cultural and psychosocial needs. 

8. Communicates clearly and appropriately to patients, families, physicians, staff and all other customer groups. 

9. Coordinates and supervises responsibilities delegated to supportive staff to ensure productivity,

continuation of patient care and general departmental maintenance.

10. Completes proper and timely documentation in the medical record for all patients treated to promote communication to physicians and to ensure proper reimbursement. Performs intermittent chart reviews to ensure staff are adhering to department standards.

11. Contributes to the department to ensure that the operations are efficient and cost effective; adheres to billing guidelines, charges, insurance limitation & all other departmental operations. 

12. Takes lead in problem solving unforeseen schedule/coverage related issues that arise.

13.. Prepares department for Joint Commission surveys and participates in CQI activities.  Performs other related duties as assigned and/or necessary to assure appropriate patient care. 

14. Attends intra-departmental rounds, team meetings, and case conferences and staff meetings.  Attends professional meetings, courses and conferences to continue education. 

15.. Meets organization’s attendance & punctuality requirements to ensure proper coverage and quality service to patients, visitors and co-workers. 

16.. Follows established organizational precautions and procedures in the performance of all job duties to ensure a safe work environment for self and others. 

17. Demonstrates awareness of productivity metrics and actively engages in departmental initiatives to meet and exceed productivity standards.

Physical Requirements:  

1. Prolonged, extensive, or considerable standing, walking, and transferring patients. 

2. Regularly lift and/or move 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. 

3. Requires manual dexterity using fine hand manipulation to operate computer keyboard, dexterity to provide quantitative testing and manual treatment techniques to a wide variety of patients. 

4. Visual acuity that allows for frequently uses computer screen and reports 

5. The employee in this position frequently communicates internally and externally; must be able to exchange accurate information via phone, email and/or in person. 

Skills & Abilities: 

1. Demonstrates interpersonal skills including communication, teamwork, and willing to work one-on-one or a group basis. 

2. Ability to work independently, to be self-motivated and well organized. Ability to function well in very busy situations. 

3. Responsible and reliable. 

4. Demonstrates flexibility and able to adjust to changes at a moment’s notice. 

5.  Maturity to operate effectively within a multi-disciplinary setting. 

6. Able to work effectively with a wide variety of patients with acute and long term disability. 

7. Ability to read/write and communicate in English. 

8. Must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to assess the needs of patients of all different age populations in order to provide care appropriately.  

9. Able to visually and audibly assess injury and functional status of patients and patient’s subjective complaints. 

10. Advanced knowledge of physical modalities, therapeutic exercise and other treatment skills.   

11. Ability to observe and evaluate treatment effect and adjust plan of care as appropriate. 

12. Demonstrates proper time management skills to attain department productivity while assuring quality patient care. 

13. Communicates effectively with administrators, front desk staff, coworkers, hospital staff, patients, families and all customer groups.