Physical Therapy Assistant - Acute Care Hospital
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston Area Medical Center Memorial Hospital

Physical Therapy Assistant (Acute Care Hospital) - Travel/Contract

Location

• Charleston, West Virginia

Contract Length

• 13 weeks

Schedule

• Day shift, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (5x8 hours)
• Manager may offer alternative schedules: Wednesday–Sunday or Tuesday–Saturday, same hours
• Weekend requirement depends on chosen schedule (M-F schedule has no weekends)
• Guaranteed 40 hours per week
• No float or on-call requirements

Facility & Patient Population

• Acute care hospital with 390 beds
• Patient population: adult and geriatric
• Departments include heart surgery, orthopedics, and medical patients
• Follow Physical Therapist’s plan of care

Requirements/Qualifications

• Valid Physical Therapy Assistant license in West Virginia
• Minimum 1 year of Physical Therapy Assistant experience within the last year
• Experience in an Acute Care setting
• One completed travel assignment
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (AHA only; no pending or onsite completion allowed)

Certifications & Licensure

• Active West Virginia Physical Therapy Assistant license required before start (pending license accepted for application)
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required (AHA only; no pending or onsite completion allowed)

Clinical Skills & Competencies

• Home exercise programs
• Lifting and transfer techniques
• Patient and family education
• Safety and injury prevention
• Billing knowledge
• Assessment skills including:

  • AROM/AAROM/PROM
  • Arousal and attention
  • Assistive devices
  • Body mechanics
  • Identifying environmental barriers
  • Pain assessments
  • Sensory response
  • Strength testing
  • Vital signs

Equipment Experience

• Required: bed alarms, call lights, crutches, gait belt, hospital bed, rolling walker, sit-to-stand lift
• Preferred: Hoyer lift, lower extremity prosthetics, sliding boards, soft/hard collars, specialty beds, supplemental oxygen

Orientation

• Orientation occurs every other Monday
• Initial orientation in the department/unit
• Orientation duration: 2 days (Thursday and Friday)
• Includes Cerner Infusion Management training

Health & Safety Requirements

• Flu vaccine required during flu season (October 1 – March 31) unless medically exempt with documentation
• COVID-19 vaccination not required
• Annual fit mask testing required (3M N95 1860 Small or Regular and Aura 9205 accepted)
• Physical exam within 1 year, stating good health and no physical limitations
• Negative TB test within 3 months or negative chest X-ray if positive TB history
• Required immunizations or titers: Tetanus/Diphtheria/Tdap, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Hepatitis B
• Drug screen within 30 days of start, including standard panel (amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine, benzodiazepines, methadone, propoxyphene)
• Annual TB questionnaire required regardless of TB status

Background & Documentation

• 7-year criminal background check within 30 days of start (includes SSN trace, county, sex offender, national, and international searches if applicable)
• SAM and OIG checks must be completed independently within 30 days of start and updated annually
• Social Security card and valid driver’s license required
• Minimum 2 manager/charge nurse references within past 2 years (1 reference required from manager/supervisor/charge nurse within 1 year of start)
• Specialty-specific skills checklist required annually
• Primary source license verification within 30 days of start

Additional Requirements

• No return to this facility as a traveler within 2 years of last permanent day worked
• Scrub color: anything except royal blue, maroon, or forest green
• Charting system: Cerner
• Free parking in parking garage for travelers
• Must complete facility-specific documents including dress code, time and attendance, medical release, vaccination exemption forms if applicable, and state liability/time gap forms
• Must complete required inservice training modules (approx. 4 hours) 1 week before start, including pass/fail testing modules if applicable

This summary includes all relevant information for healthcare recruiters and workers considering this Physical Therapy Assistant travel contract position in an acute care hospital setting.