Physical Therapist-Inpatient Registry
About The Position
The Physical Therapist is a licensed clinician who provides inpatient physical therapy care in accordance with Northwestern Medicine’s mission, values, Code of Ethics, policies, and relevant regulatory and accreditation standards. The position includes direct patient care, patient and staff education, participation in committees and departmental process improvement, and serving as a professional role model for therapists and clinical interns. This is a casual-status registry position, filling in as needed on weekdays and weekends, with the schedule known in advance. The weekend commitment is a choice of two or four weekend shifts per month. The Physical Therapist manages patient care from initial contact through discharge, collaborates with treating physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, evaluates and reassesses patients, develops and adjusts treatment plans, and documents care in the electronic medical record. The role also involves teamwork, communication with patients and healthcare professionals, department education and projects, and flexibility to meet patient-care and meeting needs.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy.
- Licensed Physical Therapist in the State of Illinois.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association upon hire.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s or doctoral degree in Physical Therapy.
Responsibilities
- Demonstrate Northwestern Medicine’s values of teamwork, patients first, integrity, and excellence in daily work and interactions.
- Provide a professional, approachable, patient-focused experience; give accurate information and timely updates, address concerns, provide directions, and use service recovery skills when needed.
- Maintain primary responsibility for patient plans of care through timely, consistent collaboration with treating physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.
- Select and perform appropriate evaluations, treatment modalities, equipment, and protocols; conduct re-evaluations and adjust treatment plans according to department guidelines.
- Manage physical therapy care from initial contact through discharge, including functional progress, patient safety, and treatment outcomes.
- Follow department requirements for evaluations, progress notes, and discharge summaries, and document all notes in the electronic medical record.
- Complete daily notes that accurately describe treatment, patient response and performance, status, and discharge needs, meeting documentation requirements that support continuity of care and reimbursement.
- Provide educational materials and methods appropriate to each patient’s understanding and motivation.
- Participate in committees, department processes, special projects, continuous improvement, and efforts to reduce costs and improve services.
- Develop and maintain professional relationships with healthcare team members, including physicians, nurses, and case managers.
- Contribute to internal and external marketing according to department expectations.
- Promote respectful team communication, accept constructive feedback, and make timely changes when appropriate.
- Complete non-patient-care responsibilities within established timelines, including coverage notes, schedule-change requests, and bonus-pay forms and follow-up calls.
- Contribute to department education, such as in-services, journal clubs, new-hire orientation, and performance improvement activities.
- Participate in student clinical and observation programs as a clinical instructor, mentor, or observation host, as expected by the department.
- Maintain productivity standards and flex schedule or assignment to meet patient-care needs and attend staff or department meetings, including those outside normal work hours.
- Use organizational and department resources efficiently, manage work schedules effectively, and complete assigned tasks on time.
- Help coworkers within and across departments and communicate effectively while respecting diverse opinions and acknowledging others’ contributions.
- Adapt treatment to special circumstances using creative problem solving and sound clinical judgment.
Benefits
- Northwestern Medicine describes a wide range of benefits supporting employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well-being; eligibility depends on employment classification.
- Tuition reimbursement.
- Loan forgiveness.
- 401(k) matching.
