Occupational Therapist job description [acute inpatients]

• To work as an autonomous practitioner, managing a caseload of patients, developing programmes of treatment for a specialized patient group. Using clinical reasoning skills evidence based practice and critical and reflective thinking, to assess, plan, implement and evaluate OT interventions.
• To carry out activities of daily living with the aim of increasing patients function, mobility, and independence using specialist skills, facilitatory methods, compensatory techniques and adaptive equipment.

• To carry out home visits, assess, supply and fit equipment, liaise with the multi-disciplinary team, statutory and voluntary agencies in the community to facilitate discharge from hospital.
• To provide specialist advice to other professionals within the hospital and the community on the management of patients and their ongoing needs.
• To maintain a flexible, patient centered approach to service delivery at all times. This will include working unsociable hours/ seven day working where deemed essential for optimal patient care and service delivery.

4. Analyze and interpret the results of the assessment to identify specific problems/deficits and, considering and comparing the therapeutic options, use them to inform the treatment planning process. Identify and diagnose problems and deficits and report findings to medical staff and the multi-disciplinary team.

5. To set objective treatment goals with the patient, agreeing and prioritizing their goals with them to ensure patient ownership of programme.

6. To execute a holistic treatment programme as each patient’s needs determine using clinical reasoning skills to determine the most appropriate approaches, techniques and methods of treatment for that individual patient.

Occupational Therapist

7. To evaluate individual treatment programmes and analyze patient responses to treatment, adapting individual treatment goals, programme, and/or specific activities throughout the intervention to accommodate variations in patient performance.

8. To adopt a problem solving approach to treatment and use appropriate task analysis, teaching approaches, facilitatory techniques and compensatory techniques to overcome barriers to independence.

9. Plan and carry out Home Visits, as and when necessary, to assess the needs of the patients and where possible to facilitate discharge.

10. To assess for, prescribe and fit equipment to facilitate independence and ensure a safe and satisfactory discharge.

11. To assess for environmental modifications required to assist the patient in independent living in their own environment.

12. To carry out risk assessments relating to all Occupational Therapy interventions and especially in relation to patient safety in their own environment. To negotiate with the patient and take action to minimize those risks whilst facilitating patient independence in the community

13. To undertake education of patients regarding lifestyle changes required to manage their condition to include energy conservation and management of daily living tasks

COMMUNICATION:

1. To communicate effectively with patients regarding their needs of the service, their treatment goals, likely outcomes, and discharge plans, taking into consideration communication differences and difficulties which may include but not be limited to language differences, sensory loss, dysphasia, cognitive problems and mood disturbances.

2. To communicate sensitive and unwelcome information regarding the patient’s likely rehabilitation outcomes and problems surrounding discharge and placement within the community

3. To communicate effectively with the multi-disciplinary team at all stages of the intervention to ensure a unified approach to treatment and optimum patient care

4. Attend ward rounds, meetings, and case conferences, and make appropriate and clear verbal reports to other members of the multi-disciplinary team regarding the Occupational Therapy treatment delivered, the patients progress and possible outcomes.

5. To instigate case conferences to ensure effective communication takes place especially in relation to discharge planning

6. To liaise and communicate effectively with carers and relatives regarding the patient’s rehabilitation goals, possible outcomes, discharge plans, home visits, and environmental modifications and equipment required.

7. To teach relatives, informal, and formal carers, specific rehabilitation and manual handling techniques, and the use of specialist equipment (to include hoists, transfer boards etc.) prior to the patient’s discharge, to ensure optimum patient care in the community.

8. To prepare written reports regarding patient’s Occupational Therapy treatment, progress and future needs to team members both within the hospital, in intermediate care and community services

9. Liaise and make appropriate referrals to intermediate care and to voluntary and statutory services in the community to assist the satisfactory transfer of care to the community

10. To be responsible for the maintenance of accurate, comprehensive and contemporaneous patient records detailing all Occupational Therapy interventions and significant events, following Organisation and departmental policies, to provide a legal record of intervention and ensure continuity of care.

11. Implement Departmental and Organisation Policies and Procedures in own work area, propose changes to working practices and procedures and ensure standards of care and safe working practices are adhered to.

MANAGEMENT:

1. To plan and prioritize specialist Occupational Therapy intervention for patients on the acute medical and surgical wards ensuring that objectives are met. To organize own time, manage and prioritize own caseload. To manage clinical risk of own interventions and that of work delegated to others

2. To monitor patients referred to the service, establishing a patient’s medical fitness for OT intervention, and make a judgment regarding where the patient’s rehabilitation needs can best be met.

3. To be actively involved in and contribute to a review of Therapy Services for acute inpatients both at a team and organizational level.

4. To be responsible for supervision and guidance of O.T. assistants and the supervision of basic grade OTs. To allocate work as appropriate and participate in the assessment and evaluation of competence.

5. To carry out appraisals to identify training and development needs in line with the Hospital Business Plan and the principles of I.I.P.

6. Undertake supervision, formal assessment and training of Occupational Therapy Students on placement who are undertaking a degree course to provide them with an active learning environment.

7. To take an active role in the training of Occupational Therapy assistants, junior staff and other disciplines, as appropriate, to educate staff in rehabilitation techniques and disseminate new information.

8. To be responsible for the issuing and daily maintenance of departmental equipment, and equipment provided by other agencies, ensuring the safety of patients, staff, and carers at all times.

9. To order equipment from the external contract provider to facilitate patient discharge from hospital, to a maximum sum as specified in the contract.

10. Take an active part in the development and ongoing review of the Therapy Service and feed back to line managers any possible improvements in service that have been identified. To participate and initiate relevant quality activities as appropriate.

11. To keep up to date statistics and carry out audits regarding own clinical work, to contribute to departmental management. Participate in research projects as required.

12. Implement Departmental and Organisation Policies and Procedures in own work area, propose changes to working practices and procedures and ensure standards of care and safe working practices are adhered to.

PROFESSIONAL:

1. To be responsible for the delivery of Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment to a high professional standard in accordance with Professional Standards and Code of Ethics laid down by the College of Occupational Therapists

2. To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee, establish a personal development plan and fulfill objectives set within the specified timescales.

3. To carry out duties, as appropriate, at the request of the Team Leader.

4. Ensure the development of personal and professional skills and knowledge by undertaking regular training activities and participating in in-service training, journal clubs and peer review, by attendance, participation and leading when required.

5. Be responsible for ensuring own competency to practice by carrying out reflective practice, attending regular clinical supervision, setting objectives for own development, and maintaining an up to date Professional Development Portfolio to demonstrate ongoing learning.

6. To demonstrate an understanding of clinical governance and risk management and apply this in the work situation and to participate in and initiate quality projects / audit activity where required.

Occupational Therapist job description

TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS

SPECIAL TRAINING

• Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy
• HPC Registration

EXPERIENCE
• Experience in a variety of clinical settings gained as a basic grade on rotation, working in an acute physical setting.
• NHS systems and processes.
• Complex discharge planning.
• Working in a multi- disciplinary team environment.
• Developing a service, evidenced by CPD.
• Participation in student fieldwork placement.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• The role of OT in the acute hospital setting.
• The OT process, assessment and treatment modalities relevant to the clinical setting.
• The interface between hospital, intermediate care and community services.
• Medical and Surgical conditions.
• Specialist knowledge relating to area of specialism evidenced by CPD and formal taught courses.

Specialist knowledge and application of OT assessments and interventions relevant to client group
Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work
Understanding of OT outcome measures
Ability to work autonomously and set own priorities
Ability to analyse professional and ethical issues
Supervisory/appraisal skills
Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance
Ability to organise and respond efficiently to complex information
Computer literacy
Ability to build effective working relationships
Detailed knowledge of mental health legislation and current practice
Detailed knowledge of the principles of clinical governance and its application
Presentation and training skills
Knowledge of OT models of practice
Knowledge and application of standardised assessments
• Ability to carry out assessments and interpret and analyse patient’s presenting problems.
• Plan and implement treatment programmes and evaluate intervention.
• Skills of goal setting and evaluating outcome measures.
• Problem solving skills.
• Reflective practitioner.
• Ability to produce clear written documentation of intervention, including reports.
• Ability to use standardised assessment tools
• Moving and handling skills.
• Ability to make sound clinical judgements and use sound clinical reasoning.
• Complex discharge planning.

Occupational Therapist