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**Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center** : Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

MCJCHV Peds Rehab

Job Summary:

Provides physical therapy treatment to patients who have impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function and health status resulting from injury, disease or other causes under the direction of a Physical Therapist. Actively collaborates with the health care/educational team to meet patient care, outcomes and system improvement objectives.

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**Job Title:** Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) – Pediatric Acute Care

**Location:** Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt | Nashville, TN

**Schedule:** Full-Time | Five 8-hour shifts/week | Weekend rotation (1x/month)

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has once again been recognized as a leader in pediatric health care, earning the title as the No. 1 children’s hospital in Tennessee and sharing the top spot in the Southeast, according to the 2025-2026 _U.S. News & World Report_ Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.

Empower Young Lives Through Pediatric Physical Therapy

Are you a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) passionate about helping children thrive? Join the Pediatric Rehabilitation Team at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, recurring #1 Children’s Hospital in the Southeast and make a meaningful impact in acute care.

Our team specializes in treating children and adolescents admitted to the acute care hospital. We focus on restoring mobility, reducing pain, and promoting independence through evidence-based therapy and compassionate care.

What You’ll Do:

+ Deliver physical therapy treatments to pediatric patients under the direction of a licensed Physical Therapist

+ Implement individualized care plans to improve mobility, strength, coordination, and overall function

+ Educate families and caregivers to support successful transitions to home, school, and community settings

+ Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to optimize patient outcomes

+ Maintain accurate documentation and uphold the highest standards of care

What You Bring:

+ Completion of an accredited Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program

+ Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Physical Therapist Assisting

+ Active and unrestricted PTA license in Tennessee (or eligibility to obtain before start date)

+ Minimum 1 year of experience in pediatric or acute care physical therapy

+ Strong communication, teamwork, and clinical reasoning skills

Why Vanderbilt Health?

+ Work at a nationally recognized Level I Pediatric Trauma Center

+ Being part of a mission-driven team dedicated to pediatric excellence

+ Access continuing education, leadership development, and research opportunities

+ Enjoy Day One benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans

+ Named one of Forbes’ “Best Employers in Tennessee” and “America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals”

Apply Today

Help children reach their full potential. Join Vanderbilt Health and be a part of a team that’s transforming pediatric rehabilitation—one patient at a time.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

+ Applies appropriate, evidence-based interventions to ensure effective outcomes based on the treatment plan of the primary clinician.

+ Provides education and employs strategies to promote successful return to home, community, and school/vocational environments.

+ The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

+ Treatment Implementation (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery 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. Supervises and directs certified athletic trainers (PT only), physical therapist / occupational therapist assistants, technicians and volunteers and students. Selects and follows correct protocol for care, as established, and actively seek out, utilize and mentor/teach others on current evidence based treatment strategies. May consult with team members to offer suggestions for treatment strategies. May serve as a clinical content expert for practice area, initiates consultation with team members for advanced treatment of patients, develop forum for staff members to utilize clinical expertise.

+ Rehabilitation Patient Education (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in communicating functional impact of assessment findings, treatment interventions, treatment planning diagnosis, and disease process. Able to assist the therapist in planning for the discharge needs of the patient. Will adapt communication to needs/levels of understanding of audience and share appropriate information and literature. Participates in providing educational experiences and professional development activities. May supervise, educate and train students from professional programs of physical therapist assistant / occupational therapy assistant that have a contractual agreement with VUMC. May plan and present educational programs to assist team/ department with identified need.

+ Rehab PTA/COTA Patient Documentation (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery 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. May orient new staff to departmental and VUMC documentation standards. Will complete accurate chart audits of co-workers’ documentation.

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: Performs tasks that are typically routine that may impact team's performance with occasional guidance. * Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Utilizes some discretion and research to solve routine problems. * Breadth of Knowledge: Applies knowledge of standards, established processes and procedure that apply to your own job. * Team Interaction: Provides guidance to entry level co-workers.

Core Capabilities** **:

Supporting Colleagues : Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Seeks to understand colleagues' priorities, working styles and develops relationships across areas.- Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner. Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service.- Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns in a timely manner. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department. Managing Resources Effectively : - Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error. Fostering Innovation : - Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them. - Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action. - Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Physical Therapy Assistant - Tennessee

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

1 year

Education:

Associate's

_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._