Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) - Pediatric Acute Care PRN

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

Vanderbilt Health is seeking a Pediatric Acute Care Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) on a PRN basis to provide feeding therapy, swallowing therapy, dysphagia management, speech-language services, and pediatric rehabilitation for infants, children, and adolescents across inpatient and outpatient settings. This role supports medically complex pediatric populations, including infants with feeding difficulties, dysphagia, tracheostomies, traumatic brain injuries, developmental and communication disorders, and children requiring Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS). Opportunities may include collaboration with NICU, PICU, pediatric acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient specialty programs. This is an opportunity to practice at the top of your license within one of the nation's leading children's hospitals. PRN therapists gain exposure to medically complex feeding and swallowing cases, interdisciplinary care teams, advanced pediatric rehabilitation services, and specialized clinical experiences not commonly available in many healthcare settings. You'll work alongside experienced pediatric physicians, therapists, nurses, and rehabilitation professionals committed to delivering exceptional outcomes for children and families.

Requirements

Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology
Tennessee SLP license or eligibility for licensure
ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP)
Pediatric feeding and swallowing experience required
Dysphagia evaluation and treatment experience required
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.
Speech Pathology Patient & Family 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 speech-language pathology.
Discharge Planning (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in the discharge planning process. Informs patients, family and members of team of the patient's needs based upon the assessment and/or treatment. Makes recommendations for continued services, follow-up, or referrals to other services. Seeks guidance consistently on the transition and discharge process including transition services and referral resources. May anticipate transition and discharge needs of the patient based upon understanding of pathology/diagnosis and relationship to their present functional status. Will have completed at least one year of experience with transition and discharge planning.
Speech Pathology Treatment Implementation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency providing treatment consistent with physician prescription and established plan of care. Identifies treatment objectives based upon assessment results and family input. Writes functional objectives in measurable terms that are consistent with the family's goals and resources. Applies evidence based clinical management practices. Identifies and recommends additional/alternative services when appropriate.
Speech Pathology Patient Evaluation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in evaluating patients with speech-language, auditory, and/or swallowing/oral feeding deficits using the appropriate testing methods and equipment for the patient type, diagnosis, and reason for the referral. Demonstrates the ability to obtain the case history and 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 for the patient, family, referring physician and other members of the health care team.

Nice To Haves

VFSS experience preferred
Pediatric hospital, acute care, NICU, PICU, or inpatient rehabilitation experience preferred
Strong interdisciplinary collaboration and communication skills

Responsibilities

Evaluates and treats patients with speech, language, voice, cognition, fluency, auditory (re)habilitation, and swallowing/oral feeding disorders.
Educates and counsels patients and families.
Provides independent therapeutic services and identify area(s) of clinical specialization and competency.
Supervises graduate students as assigned in clinical specialty area.
Participates actively in identifying and conducting quality improvement activities.
Collaborates with clinical practice team to achieve patient outcomes and system objectives.
Provide pediatric speech-language, feeding, swallowing, and dysphagia therapy across inpatient and outpatient settings.
Evaluate and treat medically complex infants and children with feeding, communication, cognitive-linguistic, and swallowing disorders.
Perform assessment and treatment of pediatric dysphagia and feeding disorders.
Participate in Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS) as appropriate.
Collaborate with physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and interdisciplinary care teams.
Develop individualized plans of care and establish meaningful functional goals.
Document evaluations, treatment plans, patient progress, and outcomes in the electronic medical record.
Educate patients, families, and caregivers regarding feeding strategies, swallowing safety, communication development, and home programming.
Support discharge planning and continuity of care across settings.
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.
Supervises graduate students by providing instruction, guidance/counsel and training to ensure provision of competent patient care and completion of appropriate documentation.