Description:
Position: Physical Therapist
Strength Level: Medium (DOT Standards)
Supervisor: Therapy Manager/ Director of Rehab
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Summary:
The Physical Therapist is a qualified, licensed professional who provides quality and efficient patient care to all ages of population in an outpatient rehabilitation program. A physical therapist will collaborate with occupational therapists and speech therapists when appropriate and supervise physical therapist assistants, physical therapy students and technicians as needed.
Essential Functions:
- Patient Care
- Lift minimum of 50 pounds
- Documentation and report writing
- In-service for staff, companies-patients
- Cleaning as needed
Marginal Functions:
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Ordering equipment
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Training of new PTs, PTAs, or other staff members
Education/Experience
- Must be a graduate of an accredited physical therapy school and hold a current, valid Texas license or eligible for such (in the case of a new graduate)
- Must have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in Physical Therapy
Confidential Data:
- Has full and complete access to patient records and financial information
- Conforms to all regulations and policies as outlined including HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability)
Orientation
- Orientation time frame of up to three months
- To be oriented by other physical therapists and the Director of Rehabilitation
Patient Care
- Evaluates new patients using the appropriate evaluative tools.
- Recognizes when patients need to be referred to a physician.
- Can gather information using verbal, auditory, sensory, visual, olfactory, and tactile sources
- Provides treatment in a safe manner using safe patient care techniques.
- Receives and interprets information from patients including movement, posture, body mechanics, skins conditions, changes in appearance, and gait to compare to normal standards.
- Can receive and interpret aural information from patients including notation of discomfort, pain, or emergent conditions
- Can read and interpret patient charts, professional literature, and notes from patients, family members, physicians, and other health care providers
- Designs individualized treatment programs to meet the needs of the patient and re-evaluate the program a minimum of one time per week.
- Instruct patients in a home exercise program when professionally deemed necessary
- Can make physical contact with patients in a non-threatening way
- Has knowledge of modalities and can use as needed
- Willing to learn about and use equipment introduced into the clinic
- Maintains a minimal waiting time of less than 10-minutes from the set appointment time
- Communicate with patients at each visit to answer questions, concerns, review information, and explain new program additions as needed
- Supervise and critique patients during their exercise program
- Makes recommendations for assistive devices and equipment when needed
- Participate in staff meetings with physicians, employers, patients, school systems, and staff as needed
- Reports equipment malfunction and does repairs as able
- Conforms to HIPAA regulations regarding patient/client information
- Must complete full CCUs and turn in for approval in allotted time frame
- Always maintains an active physical therapist license
Report Writing – Documentation
- Can document treatment plans, daily notes, progress notes, and any other necessary documents in an accurate and proper manner to remain in compliance with guidelines of medical/ legal standards or laws
- Evaluation and reports are completed and sent to the appropriate person in a timely manner
- Progress notes are completed in a timely manner, prior to patient’s doctor visits, or otherwise needed (every 2-4 weeks) and contain all necessary information
- Other reports are completed as required
- Completes daily notes in patient charts within 24 hours of treating the patient
- Documents clearly and legibly in the patient’s record, to physicians, and other required documentation as necessary
- Completes discharge notes within 2 weeks of notification of patient completing therapy
- Sets specific, objective, quantifiable, and appropriate goals on all initial evaluations during documentation in the patient chart
In-service for staff, companies, patients/ Continuing education
- Attends all in-services as required for staff
- Provides educational training and in-service training as needed
- Attends approved continuing education classes as required, occasionally followed by an in-service to staff
Cleaning
- Will clean mats and gym area as needed
- Will change pillowcases as needed
- Will fold linens as needed
- Will perform assigned cleaning duties
Requirements:
Skills/Specialization:
- Knowledge of proper use of modalities and other equipment used
- Computer skills needed, including electronic documentation
- Previous experience preferred
DIRECTS WORK of OTHERS / Number of employees for work/ supervised
- 1 PT to provide therapy to a patient at a time, with assistance from technicians/ PTAs as available
- Assists with supervision of PT students, PTAs, PT techs, and volunteers.
Measurements (Not all inclusive)
- Boxes to shelves - weighing up to 18 pounds empty, for stacking
- Weights to load boxes – 5–10-pound weights
- Sacks of material - 20-50 pounds
- Reaching overhead, to the floor, horizontally
- Assistance with patient transfers
OSHA Category:
- OSHA risk category 1- High Risk
Number of Employees Supervised:
- Helps orient, train, supervise PTA’s, technicians, volunteers, and students
Physical requirements:
- Be able to perform CPR, walk, and balance well enough to assist patients with walking and transferring without injury to self or patient
- Must have manual dexterity to safely operate and adjust buttons and dials on therapeutic modalities and other equipment.
- Must be able to measure vital signs
- Must use proper body mechanics to sit, stand, walk, lift, carry, push, pull and transport patients on a variety of surfaces to reduce injury risk
- Must be able to safely and effectively position hands and apply mobilization techniques or palpate body surfaces and tissue
Standing-Frequent
Walking-Frequent
Reaching overhead, to the floor, horizontally-Frequent
Squatting-Occasional
Sitting- Occasional to Frequent
Seeing- Continuously
Hearing-Continuously
Speaking-Frequent
Writing-Frequent
Pushing-Occasional
Pulling-Occasional
Lifting at least 50#-Frequently
Driving-Occasional
Gripping-Frequently
Pinching-Occasional
Psychological Considerations:
- Ability to take initiative
- Able to communicate with doctors, patient’s family members, fellow employees, and employers in a respectful and professional manner.
- Ability to work under stressful conditions and at times under deadlines
- Willingness to do other tasks and duties as assigned
- Conducts self in a professional manner inside and outside of the clinic
- Employees have access to all patient information due to cross training and must conform to HIPAA regulations
Cognitive/Motor/
- Ability to read and write
- Ability to use a computer and type
- Ability to communicate clearly with patients, colleagues, physicians, other health care professionals, community, or professional groups in all the following manners: Orally, in writing, via computer, via telephone, and aurally
- Ability to problem solve
- Ability to understand new techniques of treatment
Physiological Considerations:
- May be exposed to hazardous chemicals, fumes, and dust, loud noises, or potential falling objects on ergonomic evaluations which could affect respiratory functions, hearing, and possible injury.
Environmental Considerations:
- Most of the work is done indoors.
- May be exposed to blood and body fluids and contagious diseases: OSHA risk- HIGH
- May find the need to perform emergency care.
- May be subjected to unpredictable situations.
Reports to:
- Therapy Manager/ Director of Rehabilitation
Background Check: Job is contingent upon background check which includes the following:
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Criminal background check
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Drug test
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Current CPR
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Current immunizations
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Driver’s license check
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License verification
