Rehabilitation Assistant

Job description

Department: Rehab Therapy
Status: PRN
Schedule: 1-2 holidays/year, 3-4 weekend days/quarter
Weekday hours as needed
General Summary
Performs general, non-technical duties. Assists therapists and/or therapist assistants in preparing patients for therapy, treating patients, gathering supplies and regular cleaning of treatment spaces.
Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions:
• May vary by location:
• Communicates consistently, professionally and in a timely manner.
• Completes daily cleaning of all therapy spaces in compliance with departmental cleaning policies.
• Maintains technician duties log and uploads archived logs to SharePoint.
• Transports patients to and from the department.
• Possesses the knowledge and skills to keep patients safe.
• Obtains patient vitals as needed and under the direction of a clinician, including blood pressure, pulse oximetry, respiration, and pulse.
• Prepares the treatment areas for patient care including set up, removal, cleaning, appropriately storing, and organization of equipment and supplies.
• Assists with monitoring of supply stock and informing leadership when supplies are low.
• Prepares, handles, and stores a variety of food items per policy as applicable. Monitors expiration dates and maintains a clean food prep environment compliant with regulations. This includes weekly cleaning of staff refrigerator.
• Assists clinicians with safe transfer/positioning of patients.
• Under the direct supervision of a therapist or therapist assistant, prepares for patient treatment, assists with providing care, monitors patient during treatment and cleans equipment according to policy.
• Prepares modalities, apply if directed by therapist.
• Set up of assistive technology, as directed by a therapist, in preparation for therapist’s treatment session.
• Observes patient’s precautions as related to the patient’s diagnosis.
• Ensures safety of patients, visitors and staff while receiving services. Ensures safety/maintenance of therapy area(s) and equipment, including monitoring of biomed expiration stickers for routine maintenance.
• Monitors temperatures of applicable equipment per policy.
• Cleans hydroculators, ice pack machines, and paraffin baths and document on cleaning logs
• Assists with administrative duties as assigned. This includes maintenance of our equipment inventory spreadsheet.
• Assists department in preparation for regulatory surveys, utilizing checklists to ensure compliance.
• Determines appropriate initial wheelchair seating and positioning for newly admitted patients from their demographic information and diagnosis.
• Completes maintenance and modifications for department’s durable medical equipment and fulfils wheelchair prescription requests.
• Assists with patient mealtimes, ensures safe eating, and when appropriate, carryover of safe eating strategies recommended by the therapy team.
• Provides support for patient/caregiver connectivity.
• Assists with group therapy sessions including patient education, group therapy, and support groups.
• Provides safe patient handling support on the nursing unit. This includes carryover of clinician’s recommendations for safe patient handling and for use of therapy team recommended durable medical equipment.
• Provides assistance with standing protocols, pressure relief protocols and strategies, initiating carryover of clinician-initiated home exercise programs, and provision of additional mobility opportunities outside of therapy when determined as safe and appropriate by the primary treating clinician.
• Assists all staff with other tasks. Asks team members if assistance is needed.

Common Expectations:
• Handles multiple priorities simultaneously with ease and proficiency.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span of the assigned patient population.
• Maintains established policies and procedures, objectives, quality assessment, safety, environmental and infection control standards.
• Participates in educational programs and in-service meetings when appropriate.
• Provides outstanding service to all customers; fosters teamwork; and practices fiscal responsibility through improvement and innovation.

Qualifications
Minimum Education:
• High School Diploma or GED Required

Work Experience:
• Less than 1 year Relevant experience. Required

Licenses:
• Basic Life Support Upon Hire Required

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Demonstrates good communication skills.