Physical Therapy Assistant - Chambersburg

PRN flex hours

Position Function: Under the direction of a Clinical Manager, assists with assessing, planning, implementing Physical Therapy to patients. Maintains the operational aspects of the therapy unit in collaboration with the Clinical Manager. Further contributes to the Physical Medicine Department, Hospital and the American Physical Therapy Association through support of philosophy, objectives, educational and research efforts. Is responsible for the supervision of subordinate staff, students and volunteers as delegated by department administrative personnel. May be required to travel between clinical sites to assist in provision of care.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Unit Based Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Technical Excellence

• Thinks critically; utilizes sound judgment; promptly reports potential risks.
• Maintains state of art knowledge of area of specialty, healthcare trends and practice, and populations served.
• Maintains a level of computer literacy appropriate to their role.
• Meets and maintains current all unit specific and organizational skills/competencies, certifications/licensures, as required.
• Completes hospital-required reviews, e.g. HIPAA, safety, health screening,

care concerns, and others as assigned.

• Adheres to National Patient Safety Goals.

Job Class Specifics:

High Productivity

• Thinks globally by considering the needs of the facility, department and organization.
• Communicate needs to manage and modify schedule to maximize productivity.
• Utilizes any down time to complete needed tasks.
• Demonstrates multi-tasking by managing the environment of care while balancing patient care needs.
• Demonstrates multi-tasking by grouping like tasks and patients to maximize efficiency.
• Sets goals and objectives for each treatment session that prioritizes patient needs and are consistent with the time frame schedule.
• Organizes tasks for the day and completes them by end of shift.
• Documentation is completed by real time unless prohibited by patient care and is then done in a timely manner.
• Delegate tasks to support personnel to maximize staff efficiency.
• Adapts treatment plan to available resources.
• Flexible to provide patient care to multiple treatment areas within the department.
• Recognizes and adapts personal style to meet the “Model of Care” Expectations.
• Consistently meets or exceeds the established productivity expectations of the department without use of overtime and with expected or superior clinical outcome.

High Service Excellence

• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of insurance coverage and limitations, adapts treatment plan accordingly, and communicates necessary information effectively with patients and patient families.
• Achieves or exceeds expected clinical outcomes, recognizing patient limitations; communicates potential need for modification of treatment plan to therapist when appropriate.
• Includes the patient and matches their level of self involvement in the Plan of Care, treatment process and time frame, and provides education regarding pathology and prognosis.
• Recognizes and adheres to professional boundaries during interactions with patient and peers.
• Complies with billing regulations and bills appropriately for services provided.

High Level of Technical Skills

• Recognizes professional skills and limitations; refers to and utilizes others with more expertise when appropriate for timely and superior clinical outcomes.
• Demonstrates a high level of competency to maximize scheduling for superior clinical outcomes.
• Demonstrates a high level of competency with documentation which includes the following components at a minimum: treatment provided patient response, relevant communication, patient education, and patient progress.
• Implements orthopedic, neurologic, acute care, rehab, and other treatment plans as appropriate.
• Initiates a treatment plan and advances the plan according to the patient response; implements all treatments including modalities, manual approaches, and therapeutic exercise with a high level of technical skill.
• Demonstrates competence with use of orthotics, prosthetics, assistive devices, monitoring of vital signs, and management of patients with IV tubes, NG tubes, PEG lines, supplemental oxygen.
• Identifies the need to have the therapist or physician reassess the patient in a timely manner.
• Serves as an effective educator and mentor to patients, families, other staff, clinical students and the community.
• Overlaps the various elements of treatment to include a holistic approach that maintains the highest levels of professional morals and ethics; compassion; knowledge and clinical reasoning.
• Identifies emergency situations and responds appropriately.

Working Environment: Conditions that a person in this position is subject to during a normal workday. Possible exposure to patients with infectious diseases or to bodily fluids which may contain infectious agents. In addition to working in the Physical Medicine Department, may also be required to work in satellites or to engage in job-related activities outside the hospital, such as industrial settings, skilled Care Facilities, schools to provide client care and education on a contractual basis.

Reporting Structure:

A. Formal Reporting and Chain of Command - Reports to an assigned Clinical Manager and in his/her absence to the administrative designee.

B. Informal Reporting Relationships - Establishes and maintains positive and effective working relationships within the Physical Medicine Department, with other departments, physicians, care providers or "customers". These behaviors and relationships will be assessed at least annually as identified within the competency structure.

Disclaimer: These essential job functions are requirements of the position which must be performed either with or without reasonable accommodation. The essential job function list is intended to be a guide rather than a limitation. The Chambersburg Hospital possesses the right to add new responsibilities to the list as business demands dictate. Some of the essential job functions may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat/significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or others.

By identifying essential job functions, we are in no way stating or implying that these required tasks are the only activities that are to be performed by the employee occupying this position. In addition, employees will also be expected to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties that are included in the job description. The preceding requirements represent only the minimum acceptable levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities that a job incumbent must possess; in order to perform the job successfully, the incumbent will possess additional aptitudes so as to perform the other duties that the job description entails.

Qualifications and Standards

Education: Graduate of an accredited program with an Associates degree in Physical Therapy.

Experience: Experience applying customer service behaviors and communication skills required.

Certifications/Licensure: Licensed as a Physical Therapy Assistant or eligible for licensure as a Physical Therapy Assistant in Pennsylvania. CPR certification required.