Therapy Assistant - Orthopedics

The University of Alberta Hospital is one of Canada’s leading clinical, research and teaching hospitals, treating more than 700,000 patients annually from western and northern Canada. The hospital offers a wide range of diagnostic and treatment services, including specialized adult services within cardiac sciences, neurosciences, surgery, medicine, renal, critical care, burns, emergency, transplant and trauma. This Therapy Assistant position will support patients specifically who are within the Medicine Surgery Rehabilitation team but will also have opportunities to learn and provide services to other clinical areas as required. Our site provides excellent learning opportunities through our formal professional practice lead events as well as supports ongoing informal reflective practice and mentorship from the vast collective experiences of other professionals. Occasional weekend is required, schedule is negotiable, part time positions will afford up to full time hours on a casual basis.

As a Therapy Assistant, you will work both individually and as part of an interprofessional team under the assignment, monitoring and evaluation of an audiologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, recreation therapist or speech-language pathologist. You will contribute to effective and efficient rehabilitation services including direct and indirect client care across the health care continuum (healthy living, getting better, living with illness and disability, end of life care) for all ages as well as non-client service provision. This role will require you to work effectively with internal and external partners, and display professionalism and strong ethics in both client centered care and participation in care teams. You will demonstrate evidence of reflective thinking and lifelong learning that enhances individual and team competency. You will have opportunities to use your interpersonal and clinical skills in contributing to quality improvement, program planning and student supervision.

Completion of diploma from an accredited post-secondary rehabilitation Therapy Assistant program or equivalent training may be considered.

Current Basic Life Support (BLS-HCP) certification is required. Your quality of work must meet departmental and organizational expectations. Demonstrated clarity in your communication, organization and consistency of ideas, both verbally and written, including clinical documentation, is required. You must be highly motivated, confident, and enthusiastic individual with a positive attitude whose work aligns with AHS Values. You must be able to act quickly and decisively using critical thinking and problem-solving skills. You can work independently and as a part of the team creating strong, effective interpersonal working relationships with peers and other caregivers. You are a reliable worker who uses time effectively and is able to prioritize and complete assigned tasks. You have effective teaching skills for students and other professionals. You have knowledge and experience supporting Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists in both individual and group treatment plans. Able to lift and transfer adult and bariatric patients and handle equipment is must.

One (1) year directly related experience is preferred. Previous experience working in the Edmonton Zone acute care. Equipment repairs and inventory management knowledge is an asset. Experience supporting Recreation and Speech Language Therapists an asset. Basic computer skills, and familiarity with Connect Care, Netcare, Outlook and other electronic medical records are preferred.