Occupational Therapist – Acute Care Inpatient

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Clarksville, TN

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Occupational Therapist – Acute Care Inpatient role at Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital provides inpatient rehabilitation services within an acute care hospital setting. This role supports adult inpatients across multiple units, contributing to interdisciplinary care focused on recovery, safety, and discharge planning. Occupational Therapists at Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital work with adult inpatients across Medical–Surgical units, Progressive Care/Step-Down, and the Intensive Care Unit, as appropriate to competency and acuity. Patients commonly include orthopedic and general surgery cases, medically complex admissions, and critically ill individuals. OTs address activities of daily living, cognitive and perceptual function, safety awareness, functional mobility, and discharge readiness, partnering closely with nursing, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, physicians, and case management.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited program in the applicable therapy discipline.
Current Tennessee licensure or eligibility.
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.
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.
LIC-Occupational Therapy License - Licensure-Others
Relevant Work Experience
Bachelor's degree

Nice To Haves

Prior acute care or hospital-based experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Administering and directing appropriate Occupational Therapy evaluation and treatment as prescribed by qualified physician.
Effective communication and accurate documentation.
Displays professional behavior in accordance with AOTA Code of Ethics.
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.
Supervises OT and OTA students after one year of experience.
Provides clinical supervision to COTA’s and technicians.
Routinely interacts with other employees, patients, families, vendors, physicians and visitors.
Reports to Director of Rehabilitation Services.