Physical Therapist - Pediatric Cardiac Acute Care

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Vanderbilt Health is seeking a Pediatric Physical Therapist to join their Acute Care Rehabilitation Team at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. This role focuses on providing inpatient physical therapy services to infants, children, and adolescents with complex medical and cardiac conditions. The therapist will be part of a multidisciplinary care team, aiming to maximize patient mobility, functional independence, developmental progress, and recovery during hospitalization, while also supporting families and caregivers. The position offers specialized practice in pediatric cardiac acute care, working across the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) and Pediatric Cardiology inpatient unit, caring for medically complex patients including post-operative cardiac surgery and transplant populations. Collaboration with nationally recognized pediatric cardiac and rehabilitation specialists, ongoing professional development, mentorship, clinical advancement opportunities, and practice within a leading academic medical center are key aspects of this role. The Vanderbilt Pediatric Heart Institute is a large and comprehensive program offering advanced care for congenital and acquired heart disease.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited Physical Therapy program
Current Tennessee Physical Therapist license or eligibility to obtain licensure
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
Acute care experience required
Pediatric rehabilitation or pediatric acute care experience required
1 year of clinical experience in treatment implementation.
Bachelor's degree

Nice To Haves

Experience in pediatric cardiac care
Experience working in a pediatric ICU, cardiac ICU, or acute care hospital setting
Experience treating medically complex pediatric populations

Responsibilities

Evaluate and treat pediatric patients with cardiac, developmental, neurological, orthopedic, post-surgical, and medically complex diagnoses.
Develop individualized, evidence-based treatment plans to improve mobility, function, and developmental outcomes.
Provide acute care physical therapy interventions that support recovery and safe progression of activity.
Educate patients, families, and caregivers to promote successful transitions of care.
Collaborate with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, speech-language pathologists, child life specialists, social workers, and care managers.
Contribute to discharge planning and continuity of care.
Maintain timely and accurate documentation in accordance with hospital and regulatory standards.
Analyzes comprehensive information from formal and informal assessment that is pertinent to the patient's care and management to determine a rehabilitation treatment diagnosis.
Collaborates with stakeholders in establishing the plan of care, coordinates and implements care delivery while anticipating patient care needs across the rehabilitation continuum.
Applies appropriate, evidence-based interventions to ensure effective outcomes and re-evaluates performance to assess patient's progress towards goals.
Employs strategies to promote successful return to home, community, and school/vocational environments.