Occupational Therapist I Acute Care - Full-time

Under general supervision, delivers occupational therapy (OT) services through evaluation of patient needs, goal determination, and development of treatment plans in accordance with the Maryland Occupational Therapy Practice Act. Assists with the overall operation of the department.

Education:
BS, Master’s, or Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy

Experience:
Not Applicable

Licensures/Certifications:
• Current Maryland license as an Occupational Therapist.
• Healthcare Provider (CPR Certification).

Skills:
• Knowledge of Occupational Therapy theories, practices, and standards
• Entry level skills in oral and written communication
• Skill in organization
• Ability to set priorities and schedule patients utilizing time efficiently
• Ability to evaluate patient function, develop treatment plans, and monitor patient progress
• Ability to utilize standardized tests to support documentation
• Ability to demonstrate of excellent customer service skills
• Ability to manage an average caseload of 6 patients per 8-hour day
• Basic computer skills and ability to learn EMR navigation

Physical Requirements:

Ability to concentrate and pay close attention to detail for up to seventy-five percent (75%) of work time administering treatments, observing patients, maintaining records or dealing with staff. Ability to stand and walk >60% of the time. Ability to lift ≥ 30 lbs.

Working Conditions:

Normal patient care environment with little exposure to excessive noise, dust, temperatures, and the like. Ability to perform work while using personal protective equipment (PPE).

Conditions of Employment:

Current Maryland license as an Occupational Therapist.

Current Healthcare Provider (CPR certification).

Principles Duties and Responsibilities:
Patient Care
1. Evaluation

•Evaluates the patient's functional status including:

Review of medical history, diagnosis, and physician's order;

Observation and interview of patient/caregiver

Application of appropriate assessment procedures.

• Determines short and long-term goals with patient/caregiver input; establishes plan of care based upon evaluation results and input of other team members.

• Identifies barriers to patient care

2. Treatment
• Implements appropriate therapeutic interventions; progresses treatment plan in areas of self-care, activities of daily living, posture, positioning, and homemaking; teaches patient/family/caregiver activities to reinforce therapeutic interventions; provides/fits/constructs appropriate assistive/adaptive devices, or splints and recognizes patient distress signals which need follow-up.
• Documents evaluations/re-evaluations, progress notes; records data required for statistics, billing, and quality improvement activities, as appropriate.
• Utilizes the assistance of a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), rehab techs, and volunteers as appropriate; providing supervision the above as required by regulations.
• Consistently provides both written and verbal patient education
3. Clinical Collaboration

• Communicates with multidisciplinary team members both formally and informally, discussing evaluation findings, patient progress, and other pertinent information.
• Communicates with patient/family/caregiver to allay anxieties; seeks input and elicits cooperation.
• Participates in discharge planning with interdisciplinary team, recommending appropriate assistance and continuation of the rehabilitation program
Department Initiatives
• Receptive to change, promoting and complying with departmental initiatives
Team Work
• Demonstrates flexibility with patient schedule to accommodate same day evaluations, POD#0 evaluations, re-evaluations, and follow-up treatments
• Identifies and communicates issues related to the working environment
• Utilizes chain of command effectively to promote cohesion and teamwork
Professional Growth & Development:
• Independently recognizes own clinical limitations and seeks advice/ education
• Actively seeks advice and incorporates feedback from OT mentor/Program Manager
• Utilizes evidence based research for clinical practice and documentation
Performance Improvement
• Actively seeks advice and/or demonstrates incorporation of feedback for performance
• Adheres to performance improvement/LDM requirements per department plan
Leadership Collaboration
• Identifies unit issues/problems and collaborates with OT mentor/program manager to develop