Acute Care Physical Therapist
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Forrest General Hospital

Job Opportunity: Physical Therapist (PT-FGH)

Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Employment Type: Clinical-Allied
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Description

The Physical Therapist is responsible for implementing physician's orders for physical therapy services within an interdisciplinary environment. The goal is to help patients return to as independent and safe a lifestyle as possible. The therapist will provide care across all age groups including pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients. This role requires knowledge of growth and development principles and the ability to assess and interpret patient data to meet age-specific needs.

Required Skills & Experience

• Minimum 2 years of experience working as a physical therapist in an acute care setting.
• Ability to perform patient evaluations using appropriate functional tests and measures.
• Skill in assimilating objective measures with social factors, medical stability, activity restrictions, participation limitations, and comorbidities to determine functional deficits.
• Ability to construct short-term, long-term, and personal/family goals with appropriate frequency and duration to establish therapy diagnosis and plan of care.
• Capability to tolerate physically demanding tasks including moving equipment and patients, following safety measures.
• Proficient in secure documentation within Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
• Strong critical thinking skills for patient evaluation and treatment planning.
• Understanding of physical agent modalities such as moist heat as applied to various practice areas.
• Utilization of age-specific patient care indicators as necessary per plan of care.
• Knowledge of musculoskeletal, nervous, and integumentary systems with age-specific considerations.
• Ability to identify learning needs of patients and family members.
• Teamwork skills to assist patients and families throughout the acute therapy care system and continuum of care.
• Physical ability to lift, handle, push, and pull up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to operate equipment such as blood pressure machines, pulse oximetry, wheelchairs, walkers, and other assistive devices.

Education & Licensure Requirements

• Graduate of a four-year bachelor’s degree approved Physical Therapy Program.
• Permanent or Temporary Physical Therapist license from the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Additional Information

• No explicit mention of prior travel experience required.
• The job may include additional duties as assigned.

This position is ideal for physical therapists with acute care experience seeking a 13-week contract in Mississippi.