Occupational Therapist – Acute Care Inpatient

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:

VCH Physical Therapy

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY
Responsible for administering and directing appropriate Occupational Therapy evaluation and treatment as prescribed by a qualified physician. Responsible for effective communication and accurate documentation. Displays professional behavior in accordance with AOTA Code of Ethics.

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Occupational Therapist – Acute Care Inpatient

Organization: Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital
Location: Clarksville, TN
Department: Occupational Therapy – Acute Care
Schedule: Part-time: 20 hours per week

Job Summary

An occupational therapist (OT) at Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital provides inpatient rehabilitation services within an acute care hospital setting. The role supports adult inpatients across multiple units, contributing to interdisciplinary care focused on recovery, safety, and discharge planning.

Unit & Patient Population Overview

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.

Key Responsibilities

• 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.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited program in the applicable therapy discipline.

• Current Tennessee licensure or eligibility.

Preferred

• Prior acute care or hospital-based experience.

About Vanderbilt Health

Vanderbilt Health is a leader in patient- and family-centered care, combining excellence in clinical care, research, and education. Through our regional hospitals, Vanderbilt Health delivers high-quality care close to home while maintaining strong connections to academic medicine.

Apply Today

Join Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital and be part of a collaborative, patient-focused care team.

Vanderbilt Health. Personalized care. Close to home.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• 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

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
• 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 pat