Description
Assess, plan, and deliver cardiopulmonary rehabilitation to improve aerobic capacity, ventilatory function, mobility, and quality of life for patients with heart and lung conditions; reduce dyspnea and pain; and restore safe, independent function after illness, surgery, or injury.
- • Plan and carry out individualized cardiopulmonary rehab programs to improve endurance, ventilation, and functional mobility while reducing dyspnea and pain.
- • Perform and document a cardiopulmonary-focused initial exam, including history, vitals, breath sounds, exertional response, and functional testing to determine a PT diagnosis and plan.
- • Evaluate treatment effects across care phases and adjust exercise intensity, frequency, oxygen needs, and progression to optimize outcomes.
- • Administer airway clearance techniques, breathing retraining, therapeutic exercise, early mobility, and chest physiotherapy to improve ventilation and secretion clearance.
- • Educate patients and families on home programs, including pursed-lip and diaphragmatic breathing, pacing, energy conservation, and safe activity progression.
- • Collaborate with cardiologists, pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, nurses, and others to plan, implement, and assess the intervention program.
- • Review referrals, operative notes, cardiac testing, imaging, and pulmonary function data to guide evaluation and treatment.
- • Record goals, prognosis, interventions, vitals, oxygen use, responses, and progress in the medical record or EMR.
- • Obtain informed consent for proposed interventions and discuss risks of exercise and mobilization.
- • Discharge patients when goals are met and coordinate follow-up with home health, community resources, or phase II/III cardiac or pulmonary rehab.
- • Test and measure aerobic capacity, ventilatory function, strength, balance, and functional capacity using tools such as the 6MWT, gait speed, dyspnea scales, and pulse oximetry.
- • Identify and document cardiopulmonary goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation and progression.
- • Provide information on proposed interventions, expected benefits, material risks (e.g., arrhythmia, desaturation), and reasonable alternatives.
- • Direct, supervise, and communicate with PTAs, rehab aides, and students involved in cardiopulmonary care.
- • Apply and monitor treatments using devices such as pulse oximetry, telemetry during exercise, inspiratory muscle trainers, PEP/oscillatory PEP devices, and cycle ergometers per protocol.
- • Teach physical therapy students and interprofessional learners principles of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and early mobility.
- • Evaluate and train with assistive devices and mobility aids, manage lines and leads, and coordinate portable oxygen for safe ambulation.
- • Provide education on disease self-management, risk-factor modification, smoking cessation resources, and ways to promote cardiopulmonary health.
- • Refer clients to community resources, including smoking cessation programs, cardiac and pulmonary rehab maintenance, support groups, and home oxygen services.
- • Participate in or apply cardiopulmonary rehabilitation research and quality improvement to enhance safety and outcomes.
- • Participate in community outreach or policy initiatives related to cardiovascular and pulmonary health.
- • Set up, inspect, and maintain rehabilitation and airway clearance equipment, ensuring infection control and safety checks.
- • Lead or co-lead group exercise and education sessions for cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation cohorts.
- • Recognize findings outside PT scope (e.g., unstable vitals, new arrhythmias, chest pain) and promptly refer to appropriate medical practitioners.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
