Speech Pathologist-Acute Rehab

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Summary:

• The Speech-Language Therapists are responsible for assisting the persons served with medical and functional disabilities attain and restore maximum function through a patient-centered care approach. The speech therapist collaborates with the multi-disciplinary team in order to achieve the desired outcomes defined in the individualized plan of care of every person served built by the rehabilitation physician, making revisions based upon the response to treatment of the persons served. The speech therapist aids in the implementation of rehabilitation goals and treatment strategies that are concurrent with evidence-based practice while ensuring that persons served are treated with utmost dignity, respect and sensitivity. The Speech-Language Pathologist provides speech, language, cognition and dysphagia services in accordance with the Standards of Practice of the American Speech Language Hearing Association, the Licensure Board of New Jersey and the Bylaws of the Princeton HealthCare System. Speech-Language Pathology practice involves the examination, evaluation, treatment and instruction of patients and their family members for the prevention, habilitation, and rehabilitation of speech, language, learning, processing, cognition and swallowing disorders. Such practice includes but is not limited to the infants, children and adults with disorders in aphasia, articulation, auditory processing, dysfluency, dysphagia, foreign accent, hearing impairment, language impairment, laryngectomy, learning disability, memory disorder, neurogenic disorders, oral-motor dysfunction, and vocal pathology

Responsibilities:

• Professional Speech Therapy Services
• Confidentiality: The Speech Therapist maintains standards of confidentiality.
• Ethics: The Speech Therapist integrates ethical provisions in practice by delivering care that protects the autonomy, dignity, and rights, of persons served thereby serving as a patient advocate and reporting illegal, incompetent and impaired practices.
• Professional Practice Evaluation: The Speech Therapist evaluates one's own practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules and regulations.
• Health Teaching/Health Promotion: TheSpeechTherapist provides health teaching using methods appropriate to the situation and to the persons served developmental level, learning needs, readiness and ability to learn, language preference and culture. Health teaching addresses such topics as: healthy lifestyles, risk-reducing behaviors, developmental needs, activities of daily living and preventative self-care. SpeechTherapist documents the teaching provided and evaluates the effectiveness of strategies used through persons served feedback.
• The Speech Therapist assures continuation of therapeutic plan following discharge by designing home exercise programs; instructing patients, families, and caregivers in home exercise programs; recommending and/or providing assistive equipment; recommending outpatient or home health follow-up programs.
• Quality of Practice: The Speech Therapist systemically enhances the quality and effectiveness of occupational therapy practice by participating in Performance Improvement activities and using the results to initiate creative and innovative changes in occupational therapy practice and in the healthcare delivery system.
• Education: The Speech Therapist demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning through self-identification of learning needs, by participating in ongoing educational activities, and by seeking experiences that reflect current practice in order to maintain skills and competence. The Speech therapist maintains her own records that provide evidence of competency and lifelong learning.
• The Speech Therapist possesses the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to meet patients' physical, psychological and social needs with those growth and development levels/patient populations served within the department.
• The Speech Therapist participates in unit compliance as related to established standards; and accepts other duties and projects as assigned.
• Care Delivery
• Assessment: The Speech Therapist collects and documents comprehensive data pertinent to the patient's health or the situation, in a systematic and on-going process. The Speech Therapist will use appropriate evidence-based assessment techniques in collection of data. The Speech Therapist will provide culturally responsive and holistic patient care in a caring, therapeutic environment while involving the persons served and family in managing their care.
• The Speech Therapist must understand and accurately perform the Functional Independence Measure Tool (FIM) on all persons served.
• Diagnosis: The Speech Therapist analyzes the assessment data to determine diagnoses or issues. The Physical Therapist validates the diagnoses or issues with the persons served and healthcare team as appropriate. The Speech Therapist documents diagnoses or issues that facilitates the plan of care and expected outcomes.
• Planning: The Speech Therapist develops and documents an individualized plan of care considering patient characteristics or the situation. The plan prescribes strategies and alternatives to attain expected outcomes. The Occupational Therapist develops the plan in conjunction with persons-served/family and healthcare team, and utilizes the plan to guide those involved in the care of the patient across the continuum.
• Outcomes Identification: The Speech Therapist identifies expected outcomes for a plan individualized to the persons served or situation, considering persons-served/family cultural values, ethics, environment, and other associated risks, benefits, costs and current scientific evidence. The Speech Therapist documents expected outcomes as measurable goals.
• Implementation: The Speech Therapist coordinates implementation of the individualized plan of care and documents interventions and any modifications of the identified plan. Interventions will be evidence based and specific to the diagnosis or problem. The Speech Therapist collaborates with other disciplines and utilizes community resources and support systems to implement the plan.
• Evaluation: The Speech Therapist evaluates and documents progress toward attainment of outcomes, including the patient and others involved in the care or situation. The Occupational Therapist uses ongoing assessment data to revise the diagnosis, outcomes, the plan, and the implementation, as needed.
• Accountable for improving patient care through adherence to all patient safety and quality standards, regulations and best practices.
• Actively participates in multi-disciplinary rounds and discharge planning.
• Leadership and Research: The Speech Therapist provides leadership by: demonstrating energy, excitement and a passion for professional practice; participating on committees and councils, and in community outreach activities, and by promoting advancement through professional organizations.
• The Speech Therapist integrates research findings into practice by utilizing the best available evidence to guide practice decisions and by actively participating in research activities appropriate to educational level and specialty area.
• Resource Utilization: The Speech Therapist effectively utilizes resources by: evaluating factors such as safety, cost, benefit, and impact on practice by delegating tasks based on needs and condition of persons served, potential for harm, complexity of the task and predictability of outcome and assisting persons served in identifying and securing services to address health related needs.
• Teamwork
• Collegiality: The Speech Therapist contributes to the professional development of colleagues through sharing knowledge and skills, providing feedback regarding their practice and supporting an environment conducive to education of health professionals.
• Delegation: Speech Therapists should know and influence the knowledge and skills of the person to whom they are delegating and may assign selected speech therapist tasks to Speech Therapy Assistants and Aides.
• Collaborator: Develops goals, in collaboration with persons served and the rehabilitation team, which are oriented to wellness behavior and are reality based and that encourage socialization with others.
• Participates in the interdisciplinary team process at team conferences and other team meetings and offers input into team decision making.
• Intervenes with team members and other healthcare professionals to ensure that the optimal opportunity for recovery is made available to the persons served the most significant member of the rehabilitation team
• Collaborates with team members to achieve cost-effective care utilizing appropriate clinical measures to meet emergent physical, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual situations
• Outcomes
• Quality of Practice: The Speech Therapist systemically enhances the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice by participating in Performance Improvement activities and using the results to initiate creative and innovative changes in occupational therapy practice and in the healthcare delivery system.
• Supports PI Goals: The Speech Therapist supports customer service and performance improvement goals of the department; collaborates with other caregivers /staff within and outside the Department to develop means of enhancing patient care and services.
• Performs all other duties assigned.

Credentials:

• Speech Language Pathologist (Required)
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (Required)
• Basic Life Saving (BLS) certification - required

Education or Equivalent Experience:

• Master of Arts or Science (Required)
• Master's Degree in Speech Therapy - required Two (2) to four (4) years working as an Speech Therapist - preferred

We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region. Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission. Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.

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We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.

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