Physical Therapist

CommonSpirit Health•Merced, CA

17d

About The Position

The Physical Therapist helps patients rebuild or maintain physical wellbeing, reduce pain, improve quality of life, and function at their best level. The role performs initial evaluations, develops and updates individualized plans of care, and provides direct treatments while meeting patient care productivity standards. The therapist collaborates with the interdisciplinary team and patients’ families and promotes a positive customer service environment. The therapist objectively assesses each referred patient’s baseline physical function, considering the treatment diagnosis, age, medical history, and other diagnoses. They identify functional needs and establish realistic, measurable short- and long-term goals. Treatment programs are planned and implemented to achieve those goals, adjusted in response to clinical progress, and delivered with consistency and continuity. The role requires accurate, timely daily treatment, progress, and discharge documentation. Treatment notes must reflect the care provided and its duration; progress reports must show goals and progress at appropriate intervals; and discharge summaries must describe final achievement of each goal. The therapist determines appropriate equipment use, application, and positioning, adjusting for the patient’s age, size, culture, or disorder. Treatments may include therapeutic exercise, gait and functional training, soft-tissue and joint mobilization, wound care, hot or cold packs, iontophoresis, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, TENS, and manual or machine traction for the cervical and lumbar spine. The therapist instructs patients in program components and use of mobility aids and orthotic or prosthetic devices, and documents those instructions. Therapeutic equipment, including electrotherapeutic equipment, must be used safely and correctly.

Requirements

Physical Therapist: California credential required upon hire.
Basic Life Support (CPR) required upon hire.
Quarterly American Heart Association (AHA) Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) competency certification is required after hire; outside RQI competency resources are not accepted for CommonSpirit Health compliance.
Strong age-appropriate competency skills.
Excellent communication abilities.
Collaborative, patient-centered approach to care.

Responsibilities

Objectively assess and document each referred patient’s baseline physical function.
Identify functional needs and establish measurable, realistic short- and long-term treatment goals.
Plan, implement, and adjust individualized treatment programs based on the patient’s clinical response and progress.
Complete daily treatment notes, progress reports, and discharge summaries accurately and in a timely manner.
Determine appropriate equipment use, application, and patient positioning, adjusting as needed for patient-specific factors.
Provide treatments such as therapeutic exercise, gait and functional training, mobilization, wound care, modalities, and spinal traction.
Instruct patients in treatment program components and the proper use of mobility aids, orthotic/prosthetic devices, exercise, posture, and relaxation techniques.
Document patient instructions in progress notes.
Use therapeutic and electrotherapeutic equipment safely, appropriately, and correctly.
Meet patient care productivity standards, collaborate with the interdisciplinary team and families, and promote positive customer service.