Clinical Exercise Specialist

GENERAL SUMMARY:

Identifies patient needs and priorities for care through assessment, planning and delegation based on patients needs, initiating interventions and evaluation of functional status and progress towards outcomes. Formulates exercise prescription, exercise supervision, exercise/lifestyle modification education and outcome evaluation. Communicates essential information to other professional disciplines as needed and uses available resources and innovative strategies to provide care. Consistently promotes primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.

PRINCIPAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. *Commits to the mission, vision, beliefs and consistently demonstrates our core values.

2. *Performs participant assessment upon entry into Cardiac or Pulmonary rehabilitation and formulates an appropriate exercise prescription including collecting and interpreting essential information from the participants chart (i.e. history, diagnostic test results, etc.); identifying participant musculoskeletal, metabolic and or risk factor limitations; applying graded exercise testing data, when available, to the formulation of the exercise prescription; obtaining body compositional information; formulating intensity, frequency, duration and progression of exercise prescription.

3. *Assists in the ongoing assessment of participant treatment plans by: assessing toleration of activity levels; advising, discussing and initiating alternative approaches with the health care team; revising and/or progressing the design of the participant's exercise prescription; assisting and initiating intervention strategies; assisting in outcome evaluation, tracking and documentation; involving family and/or other significant individuals in assessment activities.

4. *Performs interventions and assessments consistent with facility standards of care and population-specific practice.

5. *Conducts other assigned fitness programming orientations, consultations and appraisals for the department.

6. *Provides information to participants and families which reduces anxiety and conveys an attitude of acceptance, sensitivity and caring.

7. *Completes clinical/non-clinical assignments based on departmental workload and the qualifications and competencies of self and other staff members.

8. *Collaborates with staff and appropriate resource person (s) to formulate and update treatment plans and to work toward positive outcomes.

9. *Assesses individual educational needs, barriers for learning, and learning styles and provides appropriate learning experiences; reviews, develops, and provides educational materials appropriate to patient needs.

10. Provides education to patients and significant others regarding disease entities, risk factor management and behavior modification and promotes primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in individual and group settings.

11. Supports and is involved in the Medical Center's quality improvement initiatives; responds to problems/opportunities to improve care and/or processes.

12. Assists in employee, intern and student observation/orientation as assigned.

13. Maintains professional growth and development through seminars, workshops, and professional affiliations to keep abreast of latest trends in field of expertise.

14. Participates in meetings, committees and department projects as assigned.

15. Performs other related projects and duties as assigned.

(Essential Job functions are marked with an asterisk "*". Refer to the Job Description Guide for the definition of essential and non-essential job functions.) Attach Addendum for positions with slightly different roles or work-specific differences as needed.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

1. Maintains clinical competency as required for position including but not limited to age-specific competencies relative to patient's growth and development needs and annual skill competency verification.

2. Knowledge of computer hardware equipment and software applications relevant to work functions.

3. Knowledge of hospital, staff and community based agencies and resources necessary to support patient/family education.

4. Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

5. Ability to problem solve and engage independent critical thinking skills.

6. Ability to maintain confidentiality relevant to sensitive information.

7. Ability to prioritize work demands and work with minimal supervision.

8. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment related to changing patient needs including working with patients with acute, chronic and complex disease processes and those who are dying.

9. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of personnel, medical staff, volunteer and ancillary departments including diverse patient populations.

10. Ability to train, instruct and provide guidance to others.

11. Ability to maintain regular and punctual attendance.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science or related field required. American College of Sports Medicine Exercise Specialist certification preferred.

OTHER CREDENTIALS / CERTIFICATIONS:

Basic Life Support (CPR) certification required. Bryan Health recognizes American Heart Association (for healthcare professionals), American Red Cross (for healthcare professionals) and the Military Training Network.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

(Physical Requirements are based on federal criteria and assigned by Human Resources upon review of the Principal Job Functions.)

(DOT) - Characterized as medium work requiring exertion of 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or a greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.