Occupational Therapist – Acute Care

Vanderbilt University Medical Center • Nashville, TN

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist - Acute Care to join their rehabilitation team in Nashville, Tennessee. This role involves providing occupational therapy services to patients with various impairments and functional limitations, collaborating with a healthcare team to achieve patient care objectives. The position is full-time and focuses on helping medically complex patients regain function and independence.

Requirements

• Licensed Occupational Therapist or eligible for licensure in the State of Tennessee
• Current demonstrated success in an acute care hospital or inpatient rehabilitation setting required
• Strong clinical reasoning skills and ability to manage medically complex patient populations
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and patient-centered care skills
• Doctorate (Required)

Nice To Haves

• Rehabilitation Therapist Patient Evaluation (Novice): Demonstrates proficiency in evaluating patients with physical deficits including impairments, developmental disabilities, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function by obtaining information pertinent to the assessment and administering and scoring standardized tests and objective measures of deficit areas. 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 to the patient, family, referring physician and other members of the health care team.
• Treatment Implementation (Fundamental Awareness): Demonstrates proficiency in providing treatment consistent with physician prescription and established plan of care. Able to modify treatment plan as needed to demonstrate provision of skilled therapy services including progression of treatment throughout course of care, and revision of treatment interventions of goals not met. May supervise and direct certified athletic trainers (PT only), physical therapist / occupational therapist assistants, technicians and volunteers and students. Selects and follows correct protocol for care and utilize evidence based treatments.
• Treatment Planning & Goal Setting (Novice): Demonstrates sufficient proficiency in developing a plan of care that incorporates treatment interventions focused on meeting objective goals. Develops and documents patient focused short and long term goals that are functional and measurable. Identifies the need for and referral to other services, as needed.
• 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.
• Physical/Occupational Therapist Patient 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 physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training.

Responsibilities

• Provides occupational therapy services to patients who have impairments, developmental disabilities, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function and health status resulting from injury, disease or other causes with some guidance.
• Actively collaborates with the health care/educational team to meet patient care, outcomes and system improvement objectives.
• Evaluate and treat hospitalized patients with complex medical, surgical, neurological, orthopedic, trauma, transplant, cardiac, and critical care diagnoses.
• Develop individualized treatment plans designed to maximize functional independence and safety.
• Partner closely with physicians, nurses, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, case managers, and other healthcare professionals.
• Provide patient and caregiver education focused on recovery, mobility, self-care, and discharge planning.
• Utilize evidence-based practice to deliver exceptional patient care and outcomes.
• Contribute to quality improvement initiatives and departmental programs that advance rehabilitation services.
• 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.

Benefits

• Day-one benefits including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans
• Clinical career advancement opportunities through our Occupational Therapist ladder program (Level 1 through Level 4)
• Comprehensive onboarding and structured orientation across acute care service lines
• Formal mentorship and professional development support
• Free continuing education opportunities through department-sponsored courses
• Collaborative interdisciplinary environment that values innovation and clinical excellence
• Opportunity to practice at one of the nation's leading academic medical centers
• health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree