Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) – PRN

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:

VCH Physical Therapy

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY
The speech-language pathologist is responsible for the evaluation of patients; development, coordination, and implementation of the treatment plan; maintenance of informative, accurate, and timely documentation; participation in team meetings; training of others as indicated; and participation in continuing education.

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Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) – PRN

Organization: Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital
Location: Clarksville, TN
Department: Speech-Language Pathology – Inpatient Rehab and Acute Care
Schedule: PRN (Flexible, As Needed)

Job Summary

Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) – PRNs at Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital provide inpatient rehabilitation services within an acute care hospital setting and inpatient rehab unit. The role supports adult patients across multiple units, contributing to interdisciplinary care focused on recovery, safety, and discharge planning.

Unit & Patient Population Overview

Speech-Language Pathologists at Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital provide inpatient services to adult patients on Inpatient Rehab, Emergency Department, Medical–Surgical units, Progressive Care/Step-Down, and the Intensive Care Unit. The SLP supports patients with dysphagia, cognitive-communication deficits, and speech or language impairments, including post-extubation, neurologic, respiratory, and post-surgical cases. This role works closely with physicians, nursing, dietary services, and rehabilitation colleagues to ensure safe nutrition, effective communication, and appropriate discharge recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate and treat adult inpatients according to physician orders and established plan of care.

• Collaborate with physicians, nursing, therapy colleagues, and care management teams.

• Document evaluations, progress notes, and discharge recommendations per hospital standards.

• Support safe discharge planning and transitions of care.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited program in the applicable therapy discipline.

• Current Tennessee licensure or eligibility.

• Prior acute care or hospital-based experience preferred

About Vanderbilt Health

Vanderbilt Health is a leader in patient- and family-centered care, combining excellence in clinical care, research, and education. Through our regional hospitals, Vanderbilt Health delivers high-quality care close to home while maintaining strong connections to academic medicine.

Apply Today

Join Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital and be part of a collaborative, patient-focused care team.

Vanderbilt Health. Personalized care. Close to home.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Diagnosing, treating, and preventing speech, language, and swallowing disorders
• Performing screenings to detect voice, fluency, or speech disorders
• Educating patients and family members about speech/swallow disorders and causes, including disabilities and traumatic events
• Keeping detailed records relating to patient conditions, care plans, therapies, and progress
• Reporting progress and current status to appropriate parties, which may include family members or medical professionals
• Selecting appropriate technology and material for the patients (AAC devices, dysphagia tools)

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
• Rehab Therapist Patient Documentation (Novice): Demonstrates 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.
• Speech Pathology Patient Evaluation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in evaluating patients with speech-language, auditory, and/or swallowing/oral feeding deficits using the appropriate testing methods and equipment for the patient type, diagnosis, and reason for the referral. Demonstrates the ability to obtain the case history and selects appropriate measures and performs a functional assessment to document patient's status requiring skilled therapy. Interprets the results of the assessment and their significance for the patient, family, referring physician and other members of the health care team.
• Speech Pathology Patient & Family Education (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in communicating functional impact of assessment findings, treatment interventions, treatment planning diagnosis, and disease process. Considers the communication needs/level of understanding of audience and may share appropriate information/literature. May supervise, educate and train students from professional programs of speech-language pathology.
• Speech Pathology Treatment Implementation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency providing treatment consistent with physician prescription and established plan of care. Identifies treatment objectives based upon assessment results and family input. Writes functional objectives in measurable terms that are consistent with the family's goals and resources. Applies evidence based clinical management practices. Identifies and recommends additional/alternative services when appropriate.
• Discharge Planning (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in the discharge planning process. Informs patients, family and members of team of the patient's needs based upon the assessment and/or treatment. Makes recommendations for continued services, follow-up, or referrals to other services. Seeks guidance consistently on the transition and discharge process including transition services and referral resources. May anticipate transition and discharge needs of the patient based upon understanding of pathology/diagnosis and relationship to their present functional status. Will have completed at least one year of experience with transition and discharge planning.

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: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Speech Pathologist - Tennessee

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

1 year

Education:

Master'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.