Physical Therapist – Acute Care

Physical Therapist – Acute Care

Vanderbilt University Medical Center – Nashville, TN. Full‑Time, 2 weekend days per month.

Provides physical therapy services to patients who have impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function and health status resulting from injury, disease or other causes under occasional guidance. Actively collaborates with the health care/educational team to meet patient care, outcomes and system improvement objectives.

• Day‑One Benefits:
  Medical, dental, vision, PTO, and retirement plans start immediately
• Career Advancement Ladder:
  Structured growth from PT Level 1 to Level 4
• Free Continuing
  
  Education:
  
  Department‑hosted CE courses for all staff
• Extensive Orientation: 10–12 weeks of onboarding for success across all hospital areas
• Formal Mentorship Program:
  Led by our Mentorship Committee
• Collaborative Culture:
  Join committees shaping care and innovation
• Nationally Recognized
  
  Employer:
  
  Known for excellence, innovation, and patient‑centered care

• Deliver evidence‑based physical therapy evaluations and treatments across multiple inpatient units
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to create individualized care plans
• Educate patients and families on mobility, safety, and rehabilitation goals
• Document outcomes per hospital and regulatory standards
• Participate in mentorship, quality improvement, and departmental initiatives

• Licensed Physical Therapist (or eligible for Tennessee licensure)
• Minimum 1 year of acute care experience preferred
• Strong interdisciplinary collaboration skills

• 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 toward goals.
• Employs strategies to promote successful return to home, community, and school/vocational environments.
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

• 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.
• 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 utilizes evidence‑based treatments. Has completed at least one year of clinical experience in treatment implementation.
• Rehab Therapist Patient Documentation (Novice):
  Demonstrates proficiency in documentation…