Speech Language Pathologist - Per Diem

Baystate Noble Hospital; Springfield (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Baystate Noble Hospital is seeking a speech-language pathologist to plan, conduct, and evaluate medically directed programs to restore or develop communication and swallowing skills. You will assess patients with speech, language, and swallowing disorders, develop treatment plans, and document progress.

You will educate patients and families, monitor progress, and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team. The role requires independent functioning and adherence to health and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Competent clinical practice using a clinical decision-making process to deliver patient care.
• Uses clinical decision making to achieve desired patient/family outcomes.
• Experience with ST skills, physiological knowledge, health promotion and maintaining a safe environment; motivates others; ensures legal compliance.

Responsibilities

• Identifies, evaluates, treats and follows up clients on an inpatient and/or outpatient therapy basis, providing age-appropriate care.
• Evaluates appropriateness of materials and equipment; contributes to purchasing decisions; ensures materials/tests are properly maintained.
• Initiates and follows up on action plans; determines plans for clients and recommendations for continued care; counsels on hearing impairment.
• Completes department procedures including scheduling, billing, equipment usage, and caseload coverage.
• Demonstrates clinical skills in evaluation, treatment and counseling.
• Meets productivity standards set by the department.
• Maintains a safe, clean work environment by following procedures and regulations.
• Protects patients and staff by adhering to infection-control policies.
• Uses professional ethics to establish therapeutic relationships and manages defined caseload; mentors colleagues.
• Performs data collection to identify needs and interprets complex patient data under supervision; seeks multidisciplinary input.
• Follows standards of practice and anticipates changes; plans for complex patients and mentors others.
• Establishes care plans with patient/family input and coordinates resources.
• Documents and ensures follow-through with care plans, coordinating discharge planning where appropriate.
• Questions standards of care and seeks continuous educational development.
• Participates in team meetings to discuss patient/family care and practice issues.

Skills

Clinical decision making

Patient outcomes

Team collaboration

Job description

Summary

Plans, conducts, and evaluates medically directed speech pathology programs for assigned patients designed to restore or develop patients' communication skills and/or swallowing/feeding skills. In doing so, assesses patients with functional and organic speech disorders or with receptive/expressive language disorders, develops treatment programs and modifies treatment in accordance with patient progress. Instructs patients and families in rehabilitative speech/language practices, monitors patients' progress and maintains clinical records. At this level incumbent is expected to function independently. This description covers the essential functions of the position. Incumbent is expected to perform other similar and related duties as assigned. Observe all health and safety requirements.

Job Responsibilities

1. 1) Identifies, evaluates, treats and follows up clients on an inpatient and/or outpatient therapy basis as assigned. Provides age-appropriate care to patients. Demonstrates knowledge of developmental stages for the following age groups infant/child, adolescence, adult and older, geriatrics and applies developmental theories and concepts when planning and implementing care for patients as appropriate per assignment
2. 2) Evaluates the appropriateness of diagnostic and therapeutic materials and equipment. Contributes to purchasing decisions. Responsible for condition of materials, equipment and tests used.
3. 3) Initiates and follows up on necessary action in relation to clients. Determines appropriate plans for clients and recommendations for continued care. Counsels clients, families and others in relation to understanding and assisting in the identification and treatment of hearing impairment.
4. 4) Completes department operational procedures, including scheduling, billing, equipment usage, time-off requests and caseload coverage assignments
5. 5) Demonstrates relevant knowledge and application of clinical skills in evaluation, treatment and counseling.
6. 6) Meets productivity expectations as determined by the department standards.
7. 7) Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations
8. 8) Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols
9. 9) Utilizes the professional code of ethics with patient and family to establish therapeutic patient and family relationship. Assumes responsibility for defined caseload of patients/families. Makes clinical decisions on most complex, challenging patients based on the ability to combine theoretical knowledge and clinical experience, uses past experiences to anticipate problems; and mentors colleagues in developing these skills.
10. 10) Performs assessment and collects basic level data to identify appropriate patient/family needs. Collects and interprets complex patient data under therapist supervision. Recognizes the limits of one's own clinical knowledge and seeks multi-disciplinary collaboration with both internal and external resources
11. 11) Adheres to standards of practice, policy and procedures to support comfort with clinical decision making. Makes clinical decisions based on the ability to combine theoretical knowledge and clinical experience for specific identified non complex patients. Plans for expected and unexpected changes with the most complex, challenging patients and mentors colleagues in developing these skills
12. 12) Establishes plan of care with patient/family input and prioritizes the delivery of patient/family care. Recognizes one's own limitation and seeks appropriate internal resources.
13. 13) Documents and ensures follow through with plan of care focusing on patient/family participation and response to plan of care. Takes a proactive role in coordinating multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary discharge planning for specific patient population.
14. 14) Questions appropriateness of standards of care, policy & procedure and protocols. Initiates specific plans for continuous educational development to meet demands of changing professional practice.
15. 15) Questions appropriateness of standards of care, policy & procedure and protocols. Initiates specific plans for continuous educational development to meet demands of changing professional practice.
16. 16) Utilizes and participates in team meetings and discussions regarding patient/family care and/or practice issues.

Required Work Experience

• 1) 0 - 3 years required

Preferred Work Experience

• 1) None Listed

Skills and Competencies

• 1) The therapist demonstrates competent clinical practice utilizing a clinical decision-making process and critical thinking skills to effectively and efficiently deliver patient care with all healthcare providers across the continuum of care
• 2) Utilizes clinical decision making process to achieve desired patient/family outcomes
• 3) Experienced Level ST skills, Physiological Knowledge, Health Promotion and Maintenance, Creating a Safe, Effective Environment, Motivating Others, Legal Compliance, Qual