Exercise Physiologist - Cardiac Rehab

SUMMARY:
The Exercise Physiologist delivers direct and indirect, quality patient care, utilizing advanced exercise science and clinical knowledge and skills for inpatient and outpatient services.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Administers and interprets cardiovascular exercise tests.

Reviews patient chart, interviews and assesses patient to identify clinical, physiological, psychosocial and educational status as they pertain to cardiac rehabilitation.

Implements and supervises exercise prescription and progression under the supervision of the Medical Director and the Program Supervisor/Manager following discipline specific guidelines (ACSM, CMS and AACVPR).

Counsels and provides education for patients and family members regarding lifestyle changes and modifiable risk factors in a one on one and group setting to reduce future cardiovascular complications.

Maintain quality customer service and minimize patient distress by adapting language, behavior and procedures to suit the patient.

Supervises rehabilitation activity session including resting and exercise blood pressures, heart rate, EKG strips, RPE, pain rating, SPO2 and blood glucose.

Reads, interprets and applies finding of static and dynamic ECG telemetry. 

Document patient history, clinical course, evaluation results, individualized treatment plans, daily session reports and progression reports in patient database ensuring accuracy.

Communicates and consults with medical and allied health personnel regarding patient’s progress, needs and discharge planning.

Uses judgment and clinical experience to assess when advice is required from a more specialized staff member or medical staff.

Coordinates with other service areas and team members to ensure proper patient care.

Works in both inpatient and outpatient setting, providing patient care and education.

Conducts or participates orientation and training of new employees, interns and other personnel in the cardiac rehabilitation department.

Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, current literature review, workshops and by attending staff meetings, conferences and in-service meetings, etc.

Demonstrates standards of performance (ownership, teamwork, communication, compassion) that support patient satisfaction, principles of service excellence while performing effectively and efficiently.

Adheres to TMC organizational and department-specific safety, confidentiality, values, policies and standards.

Performs administrative duties as assigned.

Performs related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION:  Bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology or related field.  Mastered degree preferred.

EXPERIENCE:  Two (2) years of experience providing exercise therapy techniques to patients.

LICENSURE OR CERTIFICATION: Current Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 

• Knowledge of cardiac rehabilitation techniques and best practices.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to provide physical assistance to patients when needed.

• Ability to demonstrate 12 lead EKG interpretation and arrhythmia recognition skills.

• Ability to work efficiently and effectively while providing a high standard of care.

• Skill in evaluating patient needs and improvement.

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.

• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.

• Ability to effectively present information and respond to inquiries or feedback from employees, patients and/or their representatives, and the general public.

• Ability to calculate figures and compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs and apply basic algebraic concepts.

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

• Familiarity with electronic medical records.