Physical Therapist (PT) – Acute Care & Inpatient Rehab, PRN

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Clarksville, TN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Under medical supervision, the Physical Therapist is responsible for the delivery of services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. Physical Therapists at Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital provide inpatient rehabilitation services within an acute care hospital setting. This role supports adult inpatients across multiple units, contributing to interdisciplinary care focused on recovery, safety, and discharge planning. Physical Therapists support adult patients across Inpatient Rehabilitation, Medical-Surgical units, Telemetry, Progressive Care, and the Intensive Care Unit, including post-operative orthopedic and general surgical populations. The role emphasizes early mobility, strength, balance, gait training, and functional recovery while collaborating with the interdisciplinary care team to support safe and timely discharge planning.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited Physical Therapy program
Current Tennessee licensure or eligibility
Rehab Therapist Patient Documentation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in documentation practices. Documents in the appropriate templates and utilizes only approved abbreviations within patient documentation. Meets institutional standards for quality and timeliness of documentation.
Rehabilitation Therapist Patient Evaluation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in evaluating patients with physical deficits including impairments, developmental disabilities, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function by obtaining information pertinent to the assessment and administering and scoring standardized tests and objective measures of deficit areas. Selects appropriate measures and performs a functional assessment to document patient's status requiring skilled therapy. Interprets the results of the assessment and their significance to the patient, family, referring physician and other members of the health care team.
Treatment Implementation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in providing treatment consistent with physician prescription and established plan of care. Able to modify treatment plan as needed to demonstrate provision of skilled therapy services including progression of treatment throughout course of care, and revision of treatment interventions of goals not met. May supervise and direct certified athletic trainers (PT only), physical therapist / occupational therapist assistants, technicians and volunteers and students. Selects and follows correct protocol for care and utilize evidence based treatments. Has completed at least one year of clinical experience in treatment implementation.
Treatment Planning & Goal Setting (Novice): Demonstrates sufficient proficiency in developing a plan of care that incorporates treatment interventions focused on meeting objective goals. Develops and documents patient focused short and long term goals that are functional and measurable. Identifies the need for and referral to other services, as needed.
Physical/Occupational Therapist Patient Education (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in communicating functional impact of assessment findings, treatment interventions, treatment planning diagnosis, and disease process. Considers the communication needs/level of understanding of audience and may share appropriate information/literature. May supervise, educate and train students from professional programs of physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training.
LIC-Physical Therapy License - Tennessee
Bachelor's

Nice To Haves

Prior acute care or hospital-based experience preferred

Responsibilities

Evaluate and treat patients according to physician orders and established plans of care
Collaborate with physicians, nursing, therapy colleagues, and care management teams
Document evaluations, progress notes, and discharge recommendations per hospital standards
Support safe discharge planning and transitions of care
Provides and documents assessment of strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, and motor function.
Provides and documents various treatments including exercise, electrical stimulation, hot packs or cold compresses, ultrasound to relive paid or reduce swelling.
Provides and documents patient education regarding treatment plan, activity, exercises, assistive and/or adaptive devices such as crutches, walkers, prostheses, and wheelchairs.
Assesses wounds, implementing the appropriate skin care protocol.
Performs duties and responsibilities with indirect supervision and must frequently make independent decisions.
Participates in discharge plan rounds as needed.