Job Summary and Scope

Under the supervision and guidance of a licensed physical therapist, the PTA promotes and restores patient health through the organized delivery of physical therapy to facilitate rehabilitation of the physically-impaired following disease, injury, or surgical intervention. The PTA will direct patient participation in selected tasks to restore, reinforce and enhance performance, facilitate learning of skills and functions necessary for adaptation and productivity. The PTA will assist the Physical Therapist (P.T.) in the delivery of the patient’s plan of care, guiding and directing progress toward established goals. The PTA will communicate regularly with the PT to discuss patient’s progress toward goals and changes in patient status. The PTA will educate and instruct the patient, family, and designated others in home programming and appropriate preventive measures. The PTA may work in a variety of settings to include the acute inpatient unit, outpatient rehabilitation, and our aquatic therapy setting. Patient care assignment includes adolescent, adult and geriatric.

Essential Functions:

• POLICIES AND PROCEDURES - Maintain established departmental policies and procedures, objectives, and quality assurance programs.

• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Enhance professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, reading current literature, attending in-services, meetings and workshops.

• Maintains and adheres to the values outlined in the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) code of ethics.

• Adheres to the patient's plan of care using established standards and by identifying appropriate intervention and therapy needs.

• Promotes patient's independence by pursuing patient care goals; teaching patient, friends, and family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills; answering questions.

• Assures quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards; measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards; making or recommending necessary adjustments; by following standards of care set governing agency regulations.

• Follows and maintains plan of care, communicates regularly with licensed physical therapist, and advances plan of care as appropriate.

• Educates patients, family, and caregivers to plan of care, patient progress, and planning for discharge.

• Resolves patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.

• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.

• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.

• Documents patient care services in a timely manner by charting in patient and department records.

• Maintains continuity among multidisciplinary teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs.

• Collaborates with the healthcare team, implementing and documenting individualized plans of care incorporating age specific considerations and nursing interventions, including discharge planning and patient/family teaching.

• Contributes and participate in team huddles to identify barriers and obstacles and in support of realigning processes toward organizational and department goals.

• Participates in the hiring, orientation, precepting, evaluation, and/or retention of co-workers.

• Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

SRMC Core Values

Integrity: Our words and actions match our values

To Serve: We put the needs of others before our own

Excellence: We strive to exceed expectations and/or standards in every activity, every encounter, and every initiative

Safety/Quality: We provide evidence-based care, programs, services, and an environment that achieves the best outcomes

Teamwork: We enjoy the ability and power to work collaboratively to deliver exceptional service

Communication Skills

• Contacts are normally made with others within UNM-SRMC.

• Contacts are frequently within the Department of Rehabilitation Services, but often outside of the department working in a multidisciplinary setting.

• Contacts contain some discussion about confidential/sensitive matters.

• Contacts are most often made face to face, but also via the electronic medical record.

• Contacts are 75% with patients and 25% with non-patients.

Required Qualifications

• Must be able to set and manage goals for patient using a team approach for progression of goals and established plan of care.

• Must be able to establish a personal and professional rapport with patients and others involved in patient’s care and in a position to understand care requirements.

• Must be able to establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, family members, and friends.

• Must be able to work in collaboration within the multidisciplinary healthcare team to assure continuity of care.

• Must have working knowledge of patient care modalities; ie. ultrasound, electrical stimulation.

• Must be able to communicate effectively (written and verbal) presenting data effectively.

Education/Experience

Education: Certificate from an Accredited Physical Therapist Assistant Program

Licenses/Certifications: One of the following: Certified Physical Therapist Assistant, New Mexico License with New Mexico Physical Therapy Practice Board. or Temporary Certified Physical Therapist Assistant, New Mexico License with New Mexico Physical Therapy Practice Board; Obtain permanent License within three months of position

CPR Certification or must obtain within 30 calendar days of date of position

Work Experience: Clinical Rotation and/or work experience in the acute inpatient and outpatient settings.

Preferred Educational/Experience Requirements: Preferred experience includes acute inpatient and outpatient settings, working with a variety of orthopedic and neurologic patient diagnoses.

Supervision

• The job requires the ability to provide supervision and oversight of the therapy technician. The position may also provide clinical instruction for PTA students in clinical rotation.

Conditions of Employment

• Must pass a pre-employment criminal background check, reference checks and a post offer drug screen.

• Must be employment eligible as verified by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Government Services Administration (GSA).

• Tuberculin Skin Test required annually

• Hospital required vaccinations

• Hospital required competencies

Working Conditions

• Typical office and/or patient care, acute care hospital environment.

• Must be able to travel locally between facilities and within the surrounding community.

• Occasional exposure to minimal physical risk