Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor for post ICU Rehab in Torquay

A Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor for post Intensive Care Rehabilitation in a well established critical care rehabilitation team at Torbay Hospital.

We are looking for a Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor to facilitate patients post critical illness to engage in physical activity with a long‑term aim to support transition from hospital to home. You will provide access to local services which enable safe and effective exercise and/or activity in a supervised environment. You will also equip patients with the knowledge and skills to become more active despite their post illness pain, global fatigue, reduced concentration and to raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity. You will encourage patients to make consistent exercise choices and to promote long‑term behaviour change and enable patients to achieve meaningful and sustainable activity as a lifestyle choice alongside their recovery post critical illness. You will support physical activity to improve tolerance to engage in return‑to‑work strategies post critical illness.

This rewarding position in the critical care rehabilitation team is to facilitate patients post critical illness to engage in physical activity with a long‑term aim to support transition from hospital to home, to enable patients to achieve meaningful and sustainable activity and to provide access to local services which enable safe and effective exercise and/or activity in a supervised environment.

Torbay Hospital is a District General hospital on the coast of Torquay in Devon. The 10 bedded intensive care unit has an excellent peer rated service and has well established critical care outreach and intensive care rehabilitation teams.

Main duties of the job:

• Contribute to biopsychosocial screening post step down from ICU and those outpatients in the community.
• Identify and address barriers to physical activity. This may include motivational, fatigue, transport/accessibility, financial issues or concerns about safety to exercise in the context of their post ICU admission condition/health problem.
• Develop and supervise personalised physical activity and exercise training programmes, specifically targeted for the management of global weakness, reduced VO2, general fatigue, muscle atrophy.
• Undertake fitness and physical performance assessments of patients post critical illness who have already been medically screened to be appropriate to engage.
• Attend home visits as required to assist with assessment, goal setting and progress monitoring.
• Contribute to patients’ validation of their experience of recovery post critical illness and to signpost them to appropriate local programs/services.
• Work with individuals on a one‑to‑one basis, or in a small exercise group, to support them and/or their families to improve their health and wellbeing despite pain, fatigue, weight loss; through making positive changes to their lifestyle.
• Assess current and previous activity/exercise levels, the clients willingness to change exercise and lifestyle habits and to assess current activity management patterns.
• Work closely with the ICU Rehab MDT. Conduct joint assessments as needed with the appropriate team member (dependent of the need of the patient).
• Complete joint ward visits or home visits with MDT to complete assessments of individual functional needs.
• Attend and feedback progress reports of patients’ needs/rehabilitation to MDT.
• Seek support for more complicated cases from MDT (this is encouraged).
• Provide 1:1 advice about physical activity to patients for whom a group Health and Wellbeing programme would be appropriate; including addressing psychological and cognitive needs.
• Contribute to 1:1 follow up and/or group appointments for patients completing the Post ICU Health & Wellbeing Programme to aim to enhance physical activity status and offer advice to maintain activity levels.
• Contribute to gathering and entering data of patient outcomes both during and post ICU Health & Wellbeing exercise programme.
• Monitor location of patient’s discharge and arrange appropriate follow‑up i.e. home visit, telephone call and attendance at medical follow‑up clinics.
• Maintain spreadsheets recording patient contacts and outcomes at regular weekly or daily intervals.
• Signpost to existing community‑based exercise schemes as appropriate.

Person specification:

• Educated to degree level in sports science, healthcare practice, exercise science or fitness.
• Experience of working within a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Experience of delivering exercise to complex patient groups with multiple comorbidities.
• Experience of working with clients post-acute hospital admissions.
• Experience of working with clients with physical and/or emotional health problems.
• Experience in consultation, goal setting and negotiation.
• Experience working with people with low motivation, anxiety, low self‑esteem or other mental health issues.
• Experience working with people with chronic conditions.
• Experience of managing independent 1:1 and group clinics and workloads.
• Experience of delivering presentations to groups.
• CBT/motivational interviewing training.
• Membership of relevant exercise organisations e.g. BACPR, CIMSPA.
• Level 4 Management of pulmonary or cardiac rehabilitation.
• Knowledge of physical and clinical assessment tools.
• Knowledge of fitness testing protocols.
• Evidence of delivering structured group education to complex groups of cardiac patients regarding lifestyle changes.
• Experience and understanding of the NHS and health care systems.

You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high‑quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people.

If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer‑friendly employer. We have a ‘Staff Carers’ policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer’s Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

We reserve the right to close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. Therefore, we encourage you to apply promptly. Please read the job description carefully and tailor your application to reflect the requirements of the role. Applicants who identify in their application form they are a part of the Armed Forces community will be guaranteed an interview, provided they meet the minimum essential criteria outlined in the job description and person specification for the role. Step into Health guidance can be found on our NHS Employers website. Correspondence will be sent via Trac, text, and email. Please ensure you check your email and Trac account regularly. Applicants with no previous NHS experience will ordinarily be appointed to the minimum of the band. If you have not received an invitation to interview within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. It is your responsibility to ensure the timely receipt of appropriate references. The Trust is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity. No person (staff, patient or public) will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.