Therapy Extender - Per Diem

Position Location: Hospital for Special Surgery, First Shift

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in a health-related field or 3 years' work experience with individuals with disabilities in a healthcare setting. Enrollment in a bachelor's degree program (junior or senior year) can count towards experience.
• Clear and appropriate interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to read, write, and understand instructions in English.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to lift and assist with patient transfers.
• Valid Driver's License.
• Demonstrated proficiency with computers and system management.

About the Role

The Therapy Extender plans, develops, and implements individual and group non-skilled interventions to improve the functioning of patients diagnosed with a variety of physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional, and developmental needs. The Therapy Extender performs a variety of departmental and interdepartmental tasks to ensure the successful provision of rehabilitation services related to mobility, communication, leisure, technology, and health and wellness.

Physical Demands

• Ability to tolerate up to four hours of consecutive work.
• Endurance for up to one and one-half hour periods of constant sitting and one-hour periods of independent mobility.
• Ability to safely transfer patients and provide contact guarding or hands-on assistance.
• Ability to lift or carry objects up to 10 pounds continuously, up to 20 pounds frequently, and up to 40 pounds frequently for patient transfer.
• Ability to push/pull up to 50 pounds frequently throughout the day for patient transport and mobility activities.
• Frequent need to initiate body positional changes to access equipment from high and low areas and while providing treatment interventions.
• Functional fine and gross motor skills and upper extremity sensation needed.
• Intact vision needed for observation of patient's non-verbal responses and skin assessment. Must be able to initiate and interpret communication with patient and others.
• Ability to tolerate submersion in up to shoulder-depth water for 1-3 hours.

Cognitive Demands

• Application of previously acquired knowledge.
• Flexibility of thought, reasoning, organizational skills, and the ability to act in new or unfamiliar situations.
• Selective attention and concentration to complete tasks.
• Ability to report patient response, reaction, and behavior through written and oral communication.
• Independent organization of schedule and ability to prioritize tasks.
• Ability to comprehend lengthy messages or paragraphs and follow multi-stage and three-step commands.

Work Demands

• Primarily indoor work, with occasional outdoor needs.
• Continuous interaction with others.
• Frequent and often unpredictable task fluctuation due to census and patient-specific needs.
• Work in noisy and somewhat crowded settings.
• Exposure to body fluids, contagious diseases, and bloodborne pathogens.
• Occasional exposure to particles, chemicals, electromagnetic, electrical, ultrasonic, and/or thermal agents that could cause eye, nose, or skin irritation (e.g., casting/splinting, patient treatment, equipment fabrication, or cleaning).

Responsibilities

• Observes and reports changes in patient condition to appropriate team members.
• Prioritizes tasks to complete assignments, seeking supervisory guidance as needed.
• Completes specific assigned tasks utilizing Hospital Policies, Procedures, and Protocols.
• Obtains, organizes, cleans, and competently utilizes equipment and supplies. Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventative maintenance requirements; following manufacturer guidelines; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs.
• Assists in treatment sessions, transferring patients onto equipment; monitoring motion; tracing walking time and distance; measuring mobility.
• Utilizes appropriate mobility, balance, and strengthening exercises, incorporating these into activities of daily living.
• Provides carryover for swallowing and specialized feeding programs, acting as a resource for frontline staff.
• Works with a variety of assistive technology equipment to support patient utilization, acting as a resource for maintenance and troubleshooting of high and low-tech devices.
• Carries over and serves as a resource for functional maintenance programs being transitioned to frontline staff.