Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant - COTA

C002 Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA); United States; On-site; USD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Medical University of South Carolina is seeking a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant to administer and direct therapeutic procedures for patients recovering from injury, disease, or surgery, under the supervision of an occupational therapist. You will document progress and re‑assess regularly to support the goals set by the supervising clinician.

Minimum training includes an associate degree from an accredited OTA program and SC licensure; BLS certification is required.

Qualifications

• Associate degree from an accredited OTA program is required.

Responsibilities

• Administer and direct therapeutic procedures as prescribed by a referring practitioner.
• Re-assess patient progress at regular intervals and document supporting findings.

Education

Associate degree from an accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Job description

Job Description Summary

Under the direction and supervision of the occupational therapist, the certified occupational therapy assistant administers and directs administration of therapeutic procedures to patients recovering from injury, disease, surgery, or other ailments, as prescribed by a referring practitioner, providing care in congruence of the goals established by the occupational therapist, and re‑assesses patient’s progress at regular, timely intervals, and supporting findings with appropriate documentation.

Minimum Training and Education

Associate degree from an accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.

Required Licensure, Certifications, Registrations

Licensed by South Carolina as an Occupational Therapy Assistant, Basic Life Support (BLS) with the American Heart Association (AHA) is required.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to perform job functions while standing. (Continuous)
• Ability to perform job functions while sitting. (Continuous)
• Ability to perform job functions while walking. (Continuous)
• Ability to climb stairs. (Infrequent)
• Ability to work indoors. (Continuous)
• Ability to work outside in temperature extremes. (Infrequent)
• Ability to work from elevated areas. (Frequent)
• Ability to work in confined/cramped spaces. (Frequent)
• Ability to perform job functions from kneeling positions. (Infrequent)
• Ability to bend at the waist. (Continuous)
• Ability to twist at the waist. (Frequent)
• Ability to squat and perform job functions. (Frequent)
• Ability to perform "pinching" operations. (Frequent)
• Ability to perform gross motor activities with fingers and hands. (Continuous)
• Ability to perform firm grasping with fingers and hands. (Continuous)
• Ability to perform fine manipulation with fingers and hands. (Continuous)
• Ability to reach overhead. (Frequent)
• Ability to perform repetitive motions with hands/wrists/elbows and shoulders. (Continuous)
• Ability to fully use both legs. (Continuous)
• Ability to use lower extremities for balance and coordination. (Frequent)
• Ability to reach in all directions. (Continuous)
• Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs. unassisted. (Infrequent)
• Ability to lift/lower objects 50 lbs. from/to floor from/to 36 inches unassisted. (Infrequent)
• Ability to lift from 36\" to overhead 25 lbs. (Infrequent)
• Ability to exert up to 50 lbs. of force. (Frequent)
• Examples include: To transfer a 100 lb. patient that can not assist in the transfer requires 50 lbs. of force.
• For every 100 additional pounds, assistance will be required from another healthcare worker.
• 20 lbs. of force is needed to push a 400 lb. patient in a wheelchair on carpet.
• 25 lbs. of force is required to push a stretcher with a patient with one hand.
• Ability to maintain 20/40 vision, corrected, in one eye or with both eyes. (Continuous)
• Ability to see and recognize objects close at hand or at a distance. (Continuous)
• Ability to match or discriminate between colors. (Continuous)
• Ability to determine distance/relationship between objects; depth perception. (Continuous)
• Good peripheral vision capabilities. (Continuous)
• Ability to maintain hearing acuity, with correction. (Continuous)
• Ability to perform gross motor functions with frequent fine motor movements. (Continuous)
• Ability to deal effectively with stressful situations. (Continuous)
• Ability to work rotating shifts. (Frequent)
• Ability to work overtime as required. (Frequent)
• Ability to work in a latex safe environment. (Continuous)
• Ability to maintain tactile sensory functions. (Continuous)
• Ability to maintain good olfactory sensory function. (Continuous)
• Ability to be qualified physically for respirator use, initially and as required. (Continuous)

Additional Job Description

Education: Graduation from an accredited school for Occupational Therapy Assistants required. Certification/Licensure: Licensure as an Occupational Therapy Assistant by the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy and registration with the National Board for certification in Occupational Therapy. Current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) certification or American Red Cross BLS for Healthcare Providers certification is required. Experience: None. Certification/Licensure: Licensure as an Occupational Therapy Assistant by the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy and registration with the National Board for certification in Occupational Therapy. Current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) certification or American Red Cross BLS for Healthcare Providers certification is required.

The Medical University of South Carolina is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MUSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, age, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by state laws and/or federal regulations. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment based upon applicable qualifications, merit and business need.

Medical University of South Carolina participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E-Verify program, please click here: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employees

Thank you for wanting to be part of the Medical University of South Carolina team. Whether you want to teach the next generation of health care leaders, innovate new business models, discover the next breakthrough or provide patient care, there's a role for you that fuels your passion and takes advantage of your skills. There are career opportunities available in academics, research, hospital medicine, physician practices and support services, from patient billing to IT. As an applicant, you can search jobs for all MUSC entities as well as search by category and location. MUSC attracts more than $250 million annually in research funding, making it the biggest magnet for biomedical, extramural research dollars of all institutions of higher learning in South Carolina. The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program aims to advance clinical and translational science to increase the speed at which new treatments become available to patients. MUSC Health, the clinical enterprise, operates a 750 bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (one of fewer than 70 elite National Cancer Institute designated centers), a Level I Trauma Center and the Institute of Psychiatry. In addition, there are more than 100 outreach clinics, hospital/health system affiliations, and telehealth sites. U.S. News & World Report placed us among the top one percent of all American hospitals, with 11 specialties in the top 50. The MUSC Medical Center is also one of only three Magnet® designated hospitals in South Carolina.