Physical Therapist (PT) Acute Care

Discover Vanderbilt Health: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization:

VCH Physical Therapy

Job Summary:

Under medical supervision, the Physical Therapist is responsible for the delivery of services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease.

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Physical Therapist (PT) - Acute Care Rehabilitation

Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital | Clarksville, Tennessee

Full-Time | 40 Hours Weekly
Weekend Requirement: One Saturday or Sunday Per Month

Come Grow With Us!

Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital is growing, and we're looking for a Physical Therapist to join our rehabilitation team.

This position offers a unique blend of approximately 90% Acute Care and 10% Inpatient Rehabilitation, providing the opportunity to care for medically complex adult patients while working alongside a collaborative team dedicated to exceptional outcomes.

Whether you're an experienced acute care therapist or looking to further develop your hospital-based expertise, you'll find opportunities for professional growth, strong interdisciplinary collaboration, and meaningful patient impact.

Why This Opportunity Is Different

Every day brings something new.

You'll work with patients across a variety of hospital settings, including:

• Medical-Surgical Units
• Progressive Care and Step-Down Units
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
• Orthopedic and General Surgery Populations
• Medically Complex Adult Patients
• Inpatient Rehabilitation

This variety allows therapists to develop broad clinical expertise while helping patients regain mobility, restore function, and safely transition to the next level of care.

You'll collaborate closely with physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and case managers to support recovery when it matters most.

A Culture of Joy, Respect, and Teamwork

One of the things therapists consistently tell us is how much they value the collaborative culture at Vanderbilt Health.

At Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital, you'll join a team where people genuinely support one another and where every discipline plays an important role in patient care.

We're proud of a culture built on:

• Patient-centered care
• Clinical excellence
• Compassion and respect
• Interdisciplinary teamwork
• Mentorship and growth
• Continuous learning
• Accountability and trust

Our therapists are respected clinical partners whose expertise directly influences mobility, discharge planning, safety, and functional outcomes.

What You'll Do

• Evaluate patients and develop individualized treatment plans
• Provide interventions focused on strength, mobility, balance, gait, endurance, and fall prevention
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to support recovery and discharge planning
• Educate patients and caregivers regarding safety, mobility, and equipment recommendations
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation

What We're Looking For

We're seeking a therapist who:

• Demonstrates strong clinical reasoning and sound decision-making
• Enjoys working in a team-based environment
• Values patient-centered care
• Builds positive relationships with patients and colleagues
• Embraces lifelong learning and professional growth
• Thrives in a dynamic hospital setting

Qualifications

Required

• Graduate of an accredited Physical Therapy program
• Tennessee Physical Therapist license or eligibility
• BLS certification or ability to obtain within established timeframe

Preferred

• Acute Care or hospital-based Physical Therapy experience
• Experience working with medically complex adult populations
• Strong communication and teamwork skills

Why Vanderbilt Health?

• Career growth within one of the nation's leading health systems
• Continuing education and professional development opportunities
• Comprehensive benefits beginning on day one
• Competitive compensation and retirement benefits
• Collaborative culture focused on excellence and innovation
• Commitment to supporting therapist development and advancement

Why Clarksville and Greater Nashville?

Located just northwest of Nashville, Clarksville offers an exceptional quality of life with convenient access to all that Middle Tennessee has to offer.

• No state income tax
• Four distinct seasons with mild winters
• Lower cost of living than many metropolitan areas
• Family-friendly neighborhoods and excellent schools
• Short commute times and less traffic
• Vibrant local restaurants, community events, and outdoor recreation
• Easy access to Nashville's music, sports, dining, and entertainment
• Convenient access to Nashville International Airport (BNA)

Make a Difference Every Day

Join Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital and help patients regain strength, independence, and confidence during some of life's most challenging moments while building your career within a culture grounded in clinical excellence, patient-centered care, teamwork, and respect.

Vanderbilt Health. Personalized Care. Close to Home.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides and documents assessment of strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, and motor function
• Provides and documents various treatments including exercise, electrical stimulation, hot packs or cold compresses, ultrasound to relieve pain or reduce swelling.
• Provides and documents patient education regarding treatment plan, activity, exercises, assistive and/or adaptive devices such as crutches, walkers, prostheses, and wheelchairs
• Assess wounds, implementing the appropriate skin care protocol
• Performs duties and responsibilities with indirect supervision and must frequently make independent decisions
• Participates in discharge plan rounds as needed

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

• Rehab Therapist Patient Documentation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in documentation practices. Documents in the appropriate templates and utilizes only approved abbreviations within patient documentation. Meets institutional standards for quality and timeliness of documentation.
• Treatment Planning & Goal Setting (Novice): Demonstrates sufficient proficiency in developing a plan of care that incorporates treatment interventions focused on meeting objective goals. Develops and documents patient focused short and long term goals that are functional and measurable. Identifies the need for and referral to other services, as needed.
• Rehabilitation Therapist Patient Evaluation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in evaluating patients with physical deficits including impairments, developmental disabilities, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function by obtaining information pertinent to the assessment and administering and scoring standardized tests and objective measures of deficit areas. Selects appropriate measures and performs a functional assessment to document patient's status requiring skilled therapy. Interprets the results of the assessment and their significance to the patient, family, referring physician and other members of the health care team.
• Treatment Implementation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in providing treatment consistent with physician prescription and established plan of care. Able to modify treatment plan as needed to demonstrate provision of skilled therapy services including progression of treatment throughout course of care, and revision of treatment interventions of goals not met. May supervise and direct certified athletic trainers (PT only), physical therapist / occupational therapist assistants, technicians and volunteers and students. Selects and follows correct protocol for care and utilize evidence based treatments. Has completed at least one year of clinical experience in treatment implementation.
• Physical/Occupational Therapist Patient Education (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in communicating functional impact of assessment findings, treatment interventions, treatment planning diagnosis, and disease process. Considers the communication needs/level of understanding of audience and may share appropriate information/literature. May supervise, educate and train students from professional programs of physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training.

Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings.

These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South.

Each year, people throughout Tennessee and the southeast choose Vanderbilt Health for their health care because of our leadership in medical science and our dedication to treating patients with dignity and compassion.

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Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Physical Therapy License - Tennessee

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

Less than 1 year

Education:

Bachelor's

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.