Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant - Acute Care
Lafayette, Indiana
Indiana University Health Arnett

Job Opportunity: COTA Acute Care Hospital

Location

• Lafayette, Indiana

Employment Type

• Travel/Contract
• Contract Length: 13 weeks

Schedule

• Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (5x8 hour shifts)
• One weekend day per month required

Job Description

• Work as part of an inpatient acute care rehab team.
• Patient acuity ranges from ICU to progressive care units.
• Patient diagnoses include cardiac procedures (CABG), stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), joint replacement, fracture repairs, respiratory illnesses, dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, ambulation issues, and more.
• Responsibilities include evaluating patients, developing and following plans of care (POC), ADL training, therapeutic exercises and activities to improve function, and daily assessment of discharge disposition appropriateness.
• Charting system: Cerner
• Scrub color: Royal Blue; Black shoes

Required Qualifications

• Valid Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant license in Indiana
• Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with a minimum of 1 year of experience, including experience within the last year
• Experience in an acute care setting
• NBCOT certification
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (AHA or RQI accepted)

Preferred Qualifications

• Manual Therapy certification/license
• Lymphedema certification/license
• Experience with Cerner electronic health record system

Compliance and Documentation Requirements

• Valid Driver’s License or Passport (clear copy required)
• Background check within 90 days of start, including 7-year history checks (criminal, SSN trace, sex offender registry, FACIS Level III, education verification)
• EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks within 30 days of start
• Official transcript or diploma verifying education (may be pending at start)
• Medication/Pharmacology competency exam
• Unit competency exam
• Color Blindness testing (Ishihara exam or equivalent, minimum 100% score)
• Physical exam within 12 months of start
• Fit mask test within 12 months of start (not required for Physical Therapists or Sterile Processor Techs)
• Negative 10-panel drug screen within 12 months of start
• Immunizations and titers:

  • Rubeola (Measles): Positive titer or 2 vaccines required; no declinations accepted
  • Mumps: Positive titer or 2 vaccines required; no declinations accepted
  • Rubella: Positive titer or 2 vaccines required; no declinations accepted
  • Varicella: Positive titer or 2 vaccines required; no declinations accepted; history of disease not accepted
  • Hepatitis B: Series, titer, or signed declination required
  • Tetanus/Diphtheria/Tdap: Strongly recommended but not required
• Tuberculosis screening (PPD, QuantiFERON-TB Gold, or T-SPOT) within 1 year of start; if positive, chest x-ray and documentation required
• Seasonal flu vaccination or approved medical/religious exemption required during flu season (9/30 - 3/31); declinations not accepted
• HIPAA and facility-specific compliance forms must be completed prior to start
• Minimum of 2 professional references from recent employment verified within 2 years; references must be from charge, manager, supervisor, or above (team lead acceptable for Allied travelers)

Additional Notes

• Indiana RN travelers have restrictions starting 11/30/2024; this does not apply to COTA roles.
• On-site fit testing for masks is limited and requires prior approval.
• PAPR respirators are available on-site with facility approval.
• This role involves working with a multidisciplinary team of 19 rehab professionals.
• Candidates should be prepared to work with a diverse patient population with a wide range of diagnoses and acuity levels.

This summary includes all relevant information for healthcare recruiters and workers considering this COTA acute care hospital travel contract position.