Provides direct care to clients/patients with established treatment plans (for acute, SNF, outpatients, Home Health/Hospice), according to the principles and practices of occupational therapy. Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team. Provides treatment activities in functional pre-vocational, homemaking skills and activities of daily living to allow the patient to become as independent as possible within the scope of his/her disability. The selected patient prescriptions are under the general supervision of the supervisor or Staff Occupational Therapist.
Job Specifications
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Graduate of an accredited program for Occupational Therapy Assistants. Licensure in Illinois or eligibility for licensure is required. Certification by the Board of Registry of the American Occupational Therapy Association is also required. Hospital experience in the position of Occupational Therapist Assistant is preferred. Current CPR certification is required.JOB KNOWLEDGE: Emphasis in physical disabilities, geriatrics, arthritis, cardiac and stroke rehabilitations. NDT and sensory integration background is helpful. Splinting experience is beneficial, but not required. The patient population must be considered when assessing job knowledge required from the employee.
ABILITIES, INTERESTS AND TEMPERAMENTS
Verbal ability is necessary to communicate with departmental and hospital staff and patients. Verbal ability is also necessary to establish reporting procedures.
A preference for working with people, as in developing programs of greatest therapeutic benefit to each patient, instructing in craft techniques, watching patients' progress carefully and adjusting programs to continue challenging the patient.
A preference for people and for communicating ideas, in encouraging creativity, initiative, ingenuity, and resourcefulness.
A preference for abstract and creative activities, such as developing specific therapeutic programs, sometimes involving novel combinations of activities, creating designs and models for guidance, and instructing patients.
Must successfully complete departmental specific orientation(s) and ongoing hospital wide CBLs (Computer Based Learning), participate in departmental inservices and demonstrate competency by completing departmental specific competency testing/evaluation program.
Must have the ability to work with a variety of patients of all populations (e.g. developmentally appropriate care, cultural diversity, patients with pain, victims of abuse or neglect, and diagnosis or procedure specific such as patient with congestive heart failure or cesarean delivery).