Occupational Therapist - Pediatric Acute Care

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Organization:

MCJCHV Peds Rehab

Job Summary:

• JOB SUMMARY
• 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 under occasional guidance. Actively collaborates with the health care/educational team to meet patient care, outcomes and system improvement objectives.

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Occupational Therapist - Pediatric Acute Care

Location: Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN

Schedule: Full-time | 40 Hours per Week | Monday through Friday, with one weekend per month

Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is seeking an Occupational Therapist to join our Acute Care Rehabilitation Team. This role provides inpatient occupational therapy services to infants, children, and adolescents across a variety of acute care settings, including intensive care, cardiac, medical, surgical, neurologic, and medically complex populations.

As part of a nationally recognized children's hospital and academic medical center, you will help patients achieve optimal functional outcomes while supporting developmental progression, caregiver engagement, and safe transitions of care.

Why Join This Team?

Treat a diverse pediatric acute care population, from infants through adolescents

Work with medically complex patients in ICU and non-ICU settings

Collaborate with highly skilled interdisciplinary teams across multiple specialties

Practice in a nationally ranked children's hospital

Access mentorship, continuing education, specialty training, and career advancement opportunities

Contribute to evidence-based, family-centered care that impacts patients throughout their recovery journey

About the Acute Care Rehabilitation Team

The Acute Care Rehabilitation Team provides inpatient occupational, physical, and speech therapy services throughout Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Occupational Therapists partner closely with physicians, nurses, rehabilitation therapists, child life specialists, social workers, respiratory therapists, and case managers to support patients with:

Critical illness and intensive care needs

Cardiac and post-surgical conditions

Neurological diagnoses

Orthopedic injuries and conditions

Complex medical disorders

Chronic and developmental conditions

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Our team focuses on maximizing function, promoting independence, supporting developmental milestones, educating caregivers, and facilitating safe discharge planning.

Key Responsibilities

Evaluate and treat pediatric patients with developmental, neurological, orthopedic, cardiac, post-surgical, and medically complex diagnoses

Develop individualized, evidence-based treatment plans that promote functional independence, participation, and developmental progress

Provide occupational therapy interventions in an acute care hospital environment

Assess self-care, fine motor, cognitive, sensory, and functional performance skills

Educate patients, families, and caregivers to support successful outcomes beyond hospitalization

Collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to optimize patient care

Participate in discharge planning and continuity of care efforts

Maintain timely, accurate documentation consistent with hospital and regulatory standards

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What Sets This Role Apart

Exposure to high-acuity pediatric patient populations, including intensive care environments

Opportunities to treat medically complex and specialized pediatric cases

Strong interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple medical and surgical specialties

Practice within a leading academic medical center and children's hospital

Emphasis on evidence-based practice, professional growth, and clinical excellence

Family-centered approach focused on optimizing long-term outcomes

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Required Qualifications

Graduate of an accredited Occupational Therapy program

Current Tennessee Occupational Therapist license or eligibility to obtain licensure

Basic Life Support (BLS) certification

Experience working with medically complex patients in an acute care or hospital-based setting

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Preferred Qualifications

Pediatric acute care experience

Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) experience

Experience treating medically complex pediatric populations

Experience in cardiac, critical care, or inpatient rehabilitation settings

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Why Vanderbilt Health?

At Vanderbilt Health, you'll join a mission-driven organization recognized for clinical excellence, innovation, and compassionate care. Our rehabilitation professionals are valued members of the care team and empowered to practice at the top of their profession while making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families every day.

• KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• •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.
• •The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

• TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
• •Rehab Therapist Patient Documentation (Intermediate): 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. May complete accurate chart audits of co-workers in the same classification category
• •Treatment Planning & Goal Setting (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery 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. May serve as a mentor for other clinical staff to develop their skills in treatment planning. May consult with team members or implement new procedures.
• •Rehabilitation Therapist Patient Evaluation (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery 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. Demonstrates experience in clinical evaluation skills and may serve as a mentor for other clinical