Physical Therapist (PT) Acute Weekender

Advocate Health • Chicago, IL

1d • $41 - $62

About The Position

The Physical Therapist provides acute-care rehabilitation services by evaluating patients, establishing and implementing individualized plans of care, monitoring outcomes, and adjusting treatment based on each patient’s response and functional goals. The role includes communicating with physicians, patients, families, and other care-team members; addressing patients’ physical and psychosocial comfort; and planning discharges, transitions, home programs, referrals, and equipment needs.

The Physical Therapist completes required clinical documentation, daily statistics, billing, and scheduling; follows insurance authorization requirements and department productivity standards; and adheres to billing, documentation, safety, and infection-control policies. The role also involves maintaining treatment areas and equipment, using modalities and exercise equipment safely, participating in quality-improvement activities, managing an assigned caseload, and supporting coverage needs.

The position requires continuing professional development and may include orienting staff, providing feedback on coworkers, and supervising physical therapy assistants, aides, technicians, or students as permitted by applicable requirements. The schedule is a weekend position, with either Friday–Monday 10-hour days or Friday–Tuesday 8-hour days. It is full-time, 40 hours per week.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from an accredited school, or educational requirements commensurate with the date of graduation.
• Maintain continuing education requirements mandated by applicable state professional standards.
• Physical Therapist license in the state where the employee works.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification from the American Heart Association, obtained within 90 days unless the department leader determines it is not required.
• No prior work experience required.
• Intermediate computer skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated organization, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Successfully complete competency assessments and requirements related to patient care and site standards.
• Maintain annual educational requirements for hospital-based certifications, such as DNV or CARF, as applicable.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills for providing age-appropriate care, including knowledge of lifespan growth and development and the ability to assess patient information and identify age-specific needs.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, lift, and squat throughout the workday.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist; lift up to 10 lbs. from waist to overhead; and lift and carry up to 40 lbs. at waist height a reasonable distance.
• Ability to push or pull with 30 lbs. of force and perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present.
• Ability to perform repetitive hand use, including simple grasping of 5–15 lbs. for 20% of the workday, pushing or pulling up to 75–100 lbs. for 10% of the day, and fine hand manipulation during massage and joint mobilization.
• Functional use of senses to communicate effectively.
• Ability to wear protective clothing as needed when exposed to electrical and chemical hazards and blood and body fluids.
• May be required to travel and be exposed to road and weather hazards.
• Ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job.

Responsibilities

• Interpret physician referrals as appropriate and perform musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary, and/or integumentary evaluations.
• Establish and implement individualized treatment plans based on evaluation results and functional goals; monitor outcomes, adjust treatment as needed, and provide status updates to physicians and teammates.
• Identify and address factors affecting patients’ physical and psychosocial comfort.
• Plan and complete patient discharges, including home programs, patient and family education, community-service referrals, transition planning, and equipment orders as appropriate.
• Communicate and collaborate with stakeholders to support optimal patient care.
• Complete required documentation, including evaluations, progress notes, team conference reports, and discharge summaries, in accordance with department policy and accreditation standards.
• Record patient care and progress; complete daily statistics, billing, and scheduling; follow insurance authorization requirements and department productivity standards.
• Follow billing and documentation policies, procedures, and timelines.
• Clean treatment areas, put away equipment, and keep work areas neat and orderly.
• Perform manual techniques, patient positioning, transfers, and transport duties using proper technique.
• Use available modalities, exercise equipment, and other devices appropriately; understand their indications and contraindications.
• Promote patient safety and follow applicable safety and infection-control measures.
• Participate in performance-improvement activities to resolve problems affecting patient outcomes and improve care quality.
• Manage an assigned caseload, communicate coverage needs to site leadership, and assist with coverage based on department and regional needs.
• Pursue professional growth through continuing education, department in-services, and professional literature.
• Orient new staff to clinical and department policies and provide verbal or written feedback on coworkers as requested.
• May supervise physical therapy assistants, including delegating patients and providing direction and ongoing supervision while retaining responsibility for plans of care and goals.
• May supervise physical therapy extenders in administering patient treatments and teach appropriate techniques.
• May supervise physical therapy students after completing one year of clinical experience.

Benefits

• $5,000 sign-on bonus.
• Paid Time Off programs.
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.
• Adoption assistance and paid parental leave.
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs.
• Educational Assistance Program.
• Competitive compensation, premium pay for eligible shifts or on-call work, incentive pay for select positions, and potential annual performance-based increases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree