Responsibilities:

•Performs an evaluation on each patient assigned to determine appropriate problems to be addressed.
•Evaluation may include range of motion, muscle strength, gait pattern, sensation, balance, coordination, perception, skin integrity, respiration, and determination of functional ability.
•Establishes treatment goals and formulates treatment plan based on patient evaluation. Reviews physician's request for treatment.
•Recommends revision or discontinuation based on evaluation findings.
•Responds appropriately in an emergency situation.
•Administers, reviews and revises treatment plans as necessary as treatment program progresses.
•Attends continuing education programs to maintain state-of-the-art knowledge of therapy skills and current activity in the profession.
•Educates patients and their families about the patient's functional status, appropriate preventive and therapeutic exercises, adaptive equipment, and modalities for post-discharge care.
•Other duties as assigned.

Education:

•Bachelor's Degree in Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy.

Certifications:

•Current State licensure as a Physical Therapist (PT) or Occupational Therapist (OP) or Athletic Trainer's (AT) Board.

Complexity of Work:

•Within scope of job, requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and the ability to work with minimal supervision .
•Must be able to work in a stressful environment.

Work Experience:

•Minimum two years experience as a therapist.
•Demonstration of clinical competence.

Physical Requirements:

•Ability to walk without assistive device and to maintain balance despite sudden load in order to support patient from falling, for example, during gait training.
•Ability to lift and reach with arms sufficiently to lift patient's arm or leg during exercise program.
•Sensation to touch and manual dexterity to be able to palpate muscle tension or to monitor patient's pulse.
•Visual acuity to observe patient's gross movement, gait, etc., in order to analyze bio-mechanical problems.
•Ability to speak clearly enough to instruct patients and families who may not be able to read.
•Ability to hear or understand patient's description of symptoms and response to treatment.
•Mental ability to interpret clinical data for the establishment and implementation of appropriate patient treatment.
•Ability to identify and resolve problems using critical thinking and decision-thinking.

Personal Protective Equipment:

•Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.