Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) – PRN

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, TN

Apply

JOB DETAILS

SKILLS

ASHA Certification, Acute Care, Analysis Skills, Auditory, Best Practices, Cerebral Vascular Accident, Clinical Competency, Clinical Practices/Protocols, Coaching, Communication Skills, Concrete, Contact Management, Continuous Improvement, Cross-Functional, Discharge Plans, Disease Prevention and Control, Documentation, Electronic Medical Records, Epic Systems, Functional Analysis, Healthcare, Hospital, Identify Issues, Intensive Care, Leadership, Medical Diagnosis, Medical Treatment, Mentoring, Needs Assessment, Neurology, News Reporting, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pathology, Patient Assessment, Patient Care, Patient Education, Performance Analysis, Performance Management, Physical Therapy, Prescription Drugs, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Productivity Management, Quality Assurance Methodology, Quality Management, Regulations, Regulatory Requirements, Resource Management, Risk, Safety Training, Sales Prospecting, Service Delivery, Speech and Language Pathology, Standards of Care, Swallowing Disorders, Team Player, Technical Research, Tracheotomy, Training/Teaching, Treatment Evaluation, Treatment Plan, Ventilator

LOCATION

Nashville, TN

POSTED

11 days ago

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:

Medical Speech - Adult

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY

Evaluates and treats patients with speech, language, voice, cognition, fluency, auditory (re)habilitation, and swallowing/oral feeding disorders. Educates and counsels patients and families. Provides independent therapeutic services and identify area(s) of clinical specialization and competency. Supervises graduate students as assigned in clinical specialty area. Participates actively in identifying and conducting quality improvement activities. Collaborates with clinical practice team to achieve patient outcomes and system objectives.

.

Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) – PRN

Location: Vanderbilt University Hospital – Nashville, TN

Department: Speech-Language Pathology | Acute Care

Schedule: PRN (As Needed)

Join Vanderbilt Health – Where Excellence Meets Compassion

At Vanderbilt Health, we are committed to delivering world-class care while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. As a nationally recognized leader in healthcare, we empower our team members to make a meaningful impact every day.

Key Responsibilities

+ Conduct comprehensive evaluations and provide evidence-based treatment for adults with:

+ Swallowing disorders

+ Speech and language disorders

+ Cognitive-communication impairments

+ Voice disorders

+ Deliver skilled speech therapy interventions in an acute care hospital setting

+ Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, including physicians, nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists, and physical therapists

+ Utilize advanced clinical tools, technology, and best practices to optimize patient outcomes

+ Document patient evaluations, treatment plans, and progress in accordance with hospital and regulatory standards

Required Qualifications

+ Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from an accredited program

+ Completion of Clinical Fellowship (CF) – no CF candidates will be considered

+ Current Tennessee SLP license (active) – not just eligibility

+ ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) – required at time of application

+ Minimum 1 year of recent (within the last 2 years) full-time Acute Care hospital experience

+ Demonstrated competency in dysphagia evaluation and management in an acute care setting

+ Experience with instrumental and bedside swallow assessments in medically complex patients

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Experience in a Level I Trauma Center or large tertiary care hospital

+ FEES competency (independent performance or strong clinical exposure required)

+ Advanced expertise in bedside swallow evaluations and clinical decision-making in high-acuity patients

+ Strong working knowledge of aspiration risk, modified diets, and evidence-based dysphagia protocols

+ Experience managing medically complex patients (e.g., ICU, step-down, multi-system diagnoses)

+ Direct experience with:

+ Ventilator-dependent patients and/or tracheostomy care

+ Neurologic populations (stroke, TBI, acute neuro)

+ Proficiency across speech, language, and cognitive-communication evaluation in acute settings

+ Efficient, compliant EMR documentation skills (Epic strongly preferred)

Schedule & Commitment Requirements

+ Must be available for a consistent PRN commitment

+ Required: 3–5 days/week availability during initial 6–8-week orientation period

+ Ability to maintain ongoing PRN coverage needs after orientation

_This role is best suited for experienced acute care SLPs who are confident in managing high-acuity patients independently. Candidates without recent acute care experience, FEES exposure, or ICU-level clinical decision-making will not be considered._

Why Vanderbilt Health?

+ Nationally Ranked: Consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report for excellence in patient care

+ Collaborative Culture: Partner with leading clinicians and specialists in a supportive, team-based environment

+ Professional Development: Access ongoing education, mentorship, and growth opportunities

+ Innovative Care: Work in an academic medical center that integrates research, technology, and clinical excellence

+ Mission-Driven: Make a difference in the lives of patients and families across Nashville and Middle Tennessee

Apply Today

If you are a dedicated Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) looking to make an impact in acute care, we encourage you to apply today and join a team committed to clinical excellence and compassionate care.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Analyzes comprehensive information from formal and informal assessment that is pertinent to the patient's care and management to determine a rehabilitation treatment diagnosis.

• Collaborates with stakeholders in establishing the plan of care, coordinates and implements care delivery while anticipating patient care needs across the rehabilitation continuum.

• Applies appropriate, evidence-based interventions to ensure effective outcomes and re-evaluates performance to assess patient's progress towards goals.

• Employs strategies to promote successful return to home, community, and school/vocational environments.

• Supervises graduate students by providing instruction, guidance/counsel and training to ensure provision of competent patient care and completion of appropriate documentation.

• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

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 & 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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

_This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth._

_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._

About the Company

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Resume Resources

Free Resume Templates Free Resume Builder