Physical Therapist

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Location: Plainsboro, NJ (Princeton Fitness & Wellness- 1225 State Road)

Hours: Per Diem - Mostly Day/Evening Shift hours - Possible shifts could be: 7am to 3:30 pm, 8 am to 4:30 pm, or 11:30 am to 8 pm. Provide coverage for staff therapist vacations and time off. Not set weekly schedule. NO WEEKENDS/ FRIDAYS CLOSED BY 4:30PM

Summary:

• The Physical 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 physical therapist helps persons served accomplish treatment plan and accept therapeutic devices by administering manual exercises; instructing, encouraging, and assisting patients in performing physical activities, such as non-manual exercises, ambulatory functional activities, and daily-living activities and in using assistive and supportive devices, such as crutches, canes and prosthesis. The physical 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 physical 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.

Responsibilities:

• Professional Physical Therapy Services
• Confidentiality: The Physical Therapist maintains standards of confidentiality.
• Ethics: The Physical 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 Physical Therapist evaluates one's own practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules and regulations.
• Health Teaching/Health Promotion: The Physical Therapist 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. Physical Therapist documents the teaching provided and evaluates the effectiveness of strategies used through persons served feedback.
• The Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical therapist maintains her own records that provide evidence of competency and lifelong learning.
• The Physical 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 Physical Therapist participates in unit compliance as related to established standards; and accepts other duties and projects as assigned.
• Care Delivery
• Assessment: The Physical Therapist collects and documents comprehensive data pertinent to the patient's health or the situation, in a systematic and on-going process. The Occupational Therapist will use appropriate evidence-based assessment techniques in collection of data. The Physical 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 Physical Therapist must understand and accurately perform the Functional Independence Measure Tool (FIM) on all persons served.
• Diagnosis: The Physical 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 Physical Therapist documents diagnoses or issues that facilitates the plan of care and expected outcomes.
• Planning: The Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical Therapist documents expected outcomes as measurable goals.
• Implementation: The Physical 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 Physical Therapist collaborates with other disciplines and utilizes community resources and support systems to implement the plan.
• Evaluation: The Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical 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: Physical Therapists should know and influence the knowledge and skills of the person to whom they are delegating and may assign selected physical therapist tasks to Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical 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:

• Physical Therapist (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 Physical Therapy - required Two (2) to four (4) years working as an Physical 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.

Live Your Life's Work

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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