Physical Therapist Assistant

Duke Homecare & Hospice Duke Homecare & Hospice offers hospice, home health and infusion services as well as serves as the home for the Duke Caregiver Support Program. Our Hospice team works closely with a patient's physician to provide comprehensive, individualized care in the comfort their home or at our inpatient hospice facility located in Durham. Our team of nurses, therapists, social workers, counselors, and chaplains help patients and their families manage advanced medical conditions. Duke Home Health provides services in a patient's home that include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social service, home health aides, and pain and wound management. Our infusion team comes to a patient's home to administer intravenous medications, including antibiotics and chemotherapy, to children and adults. Our nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, and patient services coordinators work under the direction of a patient's doctor to monitor needs and treatment.

General Description of the Job Class

Assist the physical therapist in the provision of physical therapy, providing intervention under the supervision of a physical therapist. The physical therapist assistant may modify an intervention only in accordance with changes in patient/client status and within the scope of the plan of care that has been established by the physical therapist.

Duties and Responsibilities of this Level

Levels I, II and III

Demonstrate & articulate sound clinical reasoning in treatment planning, implementation and monitoring of patient progress. Recognize when standard patient protocols or treatment plans need modification to meet individual patient needs & reports to therapist.

Understand the role of therapy in the context of the patient's age, total needs perspective and environment

Perform age appropriate competency skills with respect to individual patient's problems.

Consistently report to physical therapist, patient progress/status to allow for updated of goals and modifications by physical therapist of treatment program

Consistently meet patient care productivity standard for position.

Work cooperatively with peers to contribute to the overall productivity of the team.

Utilize support personnel (aides, senior aides, ) when appropriate and available.

Actively support and participate in cross coverage efforts in the division. Assist physical therapist's assessment of the learning needs and capabilities of patients and caregivers with regard to age, level of understanding & emotional status..

Assist physical therapist in utilizing appropriate methods and materials for effective learning, monitoring response to education, and adapting program appropriately.

Ensure that patient/family understands when and how to receive further treatment.

Patient care documentation is timely, legible, and efficient.

Notes are concise, pertinent and meet departmental documentation standards.

Oral reporting is clear, concise, relevant, and timely.

Perform all required data collection for the department accurately and within expected time frame.

Peer review standards are consistently met.

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education:

Levels I, II and III

Associate's degree in physical therapist assistant.

Experience:

Level I

None beyond required education.

Level II Minimum of 36 months of clinical practice experience.

Required level of achievement for the Level I after 36 months of employment

Level III

Minimum five years experience as a Physical Therapist Assistant with 2 years at DUHS.

Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification:

Levels I, II and III

Current Physical Therapist Assistant license in North Carolina.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Levels I and II

The physical therapist assistant may perform physical therapy procedures and related tasks that have been selected and delegated by the supervising physical therapist. Ability to push-pull, lift-carry, and transfer patients.

Level III Also has demonstrated leadership/specialization at the clinical level.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.