Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Specialist PRN

Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Specialist

The Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Specialist plays a vital role in helping patients return to their baseline health or achieve improved functional capacity following a cardiac or pulmonary event. This position focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating individualized exercise and lifestyle management programs that promote recovery, reduce risk factors, and enhance overall quality of life. Responsibilities include comprehensive patient assessment, such as medical history review, vital sign monitoring, ECG interpretation, and functional capacity testing.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the specialist provides education on medication compliance, stress management, symptom recognition, and healthy lifestyle practices. Additional duties include developing and updating treatment plans, ensuring accurate documentation, supporting inpatient mobility, and contributing to patient safety and quality improvement initiatives. The role also involves mentoring new staff and fostering continuous improvement in departmental protocols and patient satisfaction.

• Demonstrates foundational knowledge pertaining to the design, evaluation and standards of exercise programs for Cardiac and/ Or Pulmonary Rehab patients. Develops understanding of all departmental policies, protocols and procedures.
• Trained to obtain a medical history through patient interview and review of the medical record; review medications with patients; assess symptoms and vital signs; measure heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, and interpret ECGs during rest and exercise.
• Assigns and instructs appropriate exercise levels (METs) and/or modalities with respect to the patients' age, health status, physical and/or mental limitations, and capacity to perform within the exercise prescription set forth by the patient's physician. Demonstrates working knowledge of appropriate testing procedures (i.e.: Six-minute walk test, bike test, arm ergometer test, etc.) and materials in order to perform valid functional capacity testing.
• Functions as an essential member of a multidisciplinary team by directing, coordinating and providing special expertise to staff, patient and families including but not limited to day to day planning and conduction of disease specific exercise, education and lifestyle management intervention, including but not limited to nutrition, blood pressure management, medication compliance, stress management, symptom recognition, smoking cessation, lipid management, risk factor modification and independent exercise.
• Provides immediate and ongoing education/information to patient/participants regarding monitoring of their vital signs in class and at home, prescription and OTC medications, coronary artery disease risk factors, modification of exercise with regards to temperature extremes, stress reduction techniques, recognition of angina and heart attack symptoms, and appropriate increases/changes in workloads.
• Provides inpatient mobility, activities of daily living and education following a developed plan of care per delegation by therapists or floor RN. Monitors vital signs and physiological responses to activity.
• Obtains and records patient vital signs, BP, HR, O2 sats as assigned. Notes changes in the patients/participants physical, mental, and emotional status and responds in appropriate manner by addressing patients' immediate needs, notification and involvement of other staff, and subsequent follow-up with patient's physician via telephone and/or Symptom Report.
• Completes individualized treatment plans for cardiac and/or pulmonary rehab patients. Completes daily, progress notes and discharge documentation according to departmental standards. Accurately documents productivity information and has a working knowledge of insurance requirements.
• Participates in quality and patient safety initiatives. Identifies potential areas for improvement including processes that could be streamlined or revised to improve patient satisfaction. Identifies potential safety hazards that may create problems for patients and/or staff and takes appropriate actions.
• Assists in training new caregivers and students, and other duties assigned.

• Clinical assessment and monitoring
• EKG interpretation
• Symptom recognition
• Functional capacity testing
• Exercise programming
• Patient education and coaching
• Communication
• Patient Care
• Documentation
• Care coordination
• Technical proficiency to include use of rehab equipment, telemetry systems, and clinical tools

• Bachelor's degree in related field (Exercise Physiology, Exercise Science, Kinesiology)
• Current Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS-HCP)
• Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) / (PALS for pediatrics) certification as required by facility
• Successfully completes a formal EKG interpretation and arrhythmia detection course within 6 months of hire
• One (1) year of cardiac and/or pulmonary rehab experience, preferred

• Ongoing…