Over 43,000 jobs were added in Healthcare in December 2016, making it the largest job gain for any industry in that month (Bureau of Labor Statistics Report). Healthcare providers around the country are seeking high quality Physical Therapists, and one of the best ways you can beat out the competition is perfecting your job description.
Gathering the required skills is the first part of the equation. Ensuring the list of requirements reflects the nuances of the job at your company and conveys your company’s mission, can be challenging.
Here at Glassdoor, we spend a lot of time analyzing what constitutes a great job description – and we have the full complement of best practices to show for it. So, we’ve crafted a near-perfect Physical Therapist Job Description for you to reference.
Physical Therapist Job Description
About
We are looking for an experienced Physical Therapist to join our patient rehabilitation team and provide therapy and rehabilitations services to patients in our physical therapy facility. The ideal candidate is a compassionate healer who is passionate about their patients and committed to helping them recover their independence and mobility. We’re looking for someone with experience working with a wide range of patient injuries and age groups, who is always ready to learn new techniques to further patient care. The person hired for the Physical Therapist position would partner with new and ongoing patients in our facility to create a Plan of Treatment consisting of the appropriate exercises, procedures and techniques required to promote effective, safe recovery. They will be responsible for coordinating with any healthcare professionals that are working with their patients and referring patients to specialists when appropriate. The right candidate is a patient, compassionate professional who encourages and inspires their patients to work toward greater independence and recovery.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform initial and ongoing physical therapy evaluations according to APTA standards of practice as well as state standards.
- Develop Plan of Treatment for each patient based on initial and ongoing evaluations including short and long term goals, collaboration demands of other staff members, and required patient and caregiver involvement.
- Implement Plan of Treatment on a consistent schedule and adjust this schedule and plan according to patient progress.
- Document patient progress according to approved medical documentation and facility documentation procedures.
- Evaluate mobility, strength and current level of patient function, while setting goals to improve in these areas that are scaled to patient abilities and realistically attainable.
- Report patient progress to patient, patient caregivers and loved ones, facility staff and healthcare professionals involved in ongoing treatment/care of patients.
- Develop a plan for patients following completion of their Plan of Treatment with appropriate in-home care services.
- Maintain professional and technical knowledge through attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications, etc.
- Assist other facility staff members as needed to provide care and create a clean, orderly and effective environment for rehabilitation and physical therapy.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Proven record of matching patient needs to treatment plans and proven record of implementing these plans safely and effectively.
- Strong experience administering a wide range of physical therapy techniques not limited to: giving massages; applying physical agents; initiating traction; utilizing hydrotherapy tanks and whirlpool baths, ultraviolet / infrared lamps, and ultrasound machines.
- Experience assisting and directing treatments given by aides, technicians, and assistants.
- Knowledge of responsible use of facility equipment, best practices for equipment use and preventative maintenance procedures.
- Experience with recommending assistive equipment to patients and outpatient or home health follow-up programs.
- Experience with a wide range of patient age groups and injuries.
- Knowledge of Occupational Therapy and an understanding of when these techniques can benefit patients.
- A strong sense of empathy, a compassionate outlook on PT and the ability to motivate patients into pushing their limits in a responsible, safe way.
We are looking for someone with at least 2 years of experience providing physical therapy to patients in a fully equipped PT facility and who has the following qualifications:
- BS or Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from a physical therapy program approved by the American Physical Therapy Association
- Current Physical Therapy license for state of operation.
- Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (with AED).
With all the time you save writing job descriptions, you can move on to the next key piece: honing your interview process with resources from Glassdoor – from How to Conduct a Behavioral Interview to utilizing checklists and interview templates. You can also take some time to leverage feedback from Interview Ratings on your Glassdoor profile to improve candidate experience every step of the way.
