Major Responsibilities:
Responsible for conduction and/or assisting in exercise sessions for all cardiopulmonary rehabilitation patients.
Exercise session: Patients are checked for blood pressure/ Heart rate/ O2 Saturation pre / during and post exercise. Responsible for assessing the patient's exercise prescription and changing as needed.
Communicates pertinent patient information to rehab staff and physician office
Monitored exercise telemetry: Patients are monitored throughout exercise for EKG changes. Responsible for knowing normal and abnormal rythms. Must know when and how to treat the patient and be able to perform emergency procedures when necessary as per department policies and procedures, and reports this information to the appropriate personnel
Assurance of appropriate, safe, and effective exercise
Develops individual exercise prescriptions and programs for cardiopulmonary patients by using AACVPR and ACSM guidelines.
Comply with the policies and procedures of Good Shepherd Hospital and the Cardiac-Pulmonary rehabilitation department.
Assists with orientating patients to all phases of cardiac-pulmonary rehabilitation
Promotes patient safety by reporting of issues through established channels and participating as requested in safety initiatives.
Must have basic knowledge of heart disease and lung disease in the adult patient, and how exercise impacts their diagnosis
Participates in departmental educational efforts
Assists with the development of educational materials used in the cardiac-pulmonary rehab to educate patients on lifestyle modifcations
Participates in multi-disciplinary team meetings, community program, family and patient support groups.
Be supportive and encouraging of the patient who is trying to modify his lifestyle
Leads patient education sessions in area of exercise physiology and serve as a resource person in exercise physiology to the nursing staff
Participate in Professional Development and Contribution to CQI Atmosphere:
Provides data and/or inputs data to measure statistics or outcomes for cardiac-pulmonary patients
Attends inservices and continuing education programs appropriate to needs and goals.
Looks for improvement opportunities for self and department.
Provides pertinent information and feedback to other health care team members.
Education/Experience Required:
• M.S in Exercise Physiology or related degree. • Knowledge of cardiac monitor and arrhythmia detection This position will need to recognize the needs and behaviors of a variety of age groups of patients treated, i.e., understand normal patterns of adult behavior and look for signs of normal aging; prior experience with various age groups is preferred.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:
• Good communication skills. • Familiarity with cardiac monitors.
• Current BLS ACLS within 6 months of hire
This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.