Occupational Therapist
Listed compensation
$68.56-$79.51/hr
Listing transparency1 of 6 stated
Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations and weekend coverage.
- Employment & setting
- Full-Time
- Call expectations
- Not specified
- Weekends
- Not specified
Job Description
Where You’ll Work
Founded in 1941, Dignity Health - Dominican Hospital is a 188-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Santa Cruz, California. Serving over 80,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including heart care, orthopedics, and a Family Birthing Center. Additionally, Dominican Hospital has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. It is a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center, and has been awarded the AMA/ASA’s Get the Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement, recognizing the hospital’s commitment to providing the best stroke care.
One Community. One Mission. One California
Job Summary and Responsibilities
As an Occupational Therapist, you will help patients regain independence and quality of life so they can safely perform daily activities. Every day you will assess diverse patients (orthopedic, neurological, sensory, cancer recovery, etc.), develop treatment plans, and conduct evaluations/re-evaluations. You will be expected to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, document thoroughly, and provide positive, motivating care to a high volume of patients. To be successful in this role, you must be flexible, adaptable, exceptionally organized, and a personable, motivating team player.
Utilizes the AIDET principle to communicate with others, with a focus on patients and their families.
Acknowledge Introduce Explain Duration Thank
Exhibits behaviors that ensure patient loyalty. Utilizes AIDET principle to communicate with others, with a focus on patients and their families. Introduces self by giving name and purpose Is polite and courteous in communications
Listens and responds with respect and empathy Anticipates patients and visitors needs Uses appropriate verbal/body language Ensures that patient/family has had appropriate explanation by asking if there are any other questions.
Always thanks the patient and family for their participation and time.
Actively promotes teamwork within the rehabilitation process. Facilitates effective intra- and inter -departmental relations to ensure employee engagement. Demonstrates professional relationships with all staff members. Displays warm welcome to patients, coworkers and visitors Offers assistance during down time i. e. no shows Provides an accurate and informative hand off to the next care provider Delegate within the team according to skill level and patient load. Answers call bells and other patient requests quickly & graciously Checks-in with team leader to ensure that all unit and patient needs are met.
- Job Requirements
- Required
- Bachelors Other
Must be a graduate of an accredited school of Occupational Therapy with a minimum of B. A. or B. S. and
Minimum of one year of experience as an O. T. R. in physical disabilities setting, preferably in acute care or acute rehabilitation:, upon hire or
- Completion of six to nine months internship in an acute car or acute rehab unit.
- Occupational Therapist: CA, upon hire and
- Basic Life Support - CPR, upon hire
Key Responsibilities
The Occupational Therapist will assess diverse patients, develop individualized treatment plans, and conduct evaluations to help patients regain independence. They will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and provide motivating care to a high volume of patients in an acute care setting.
Requirements
Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited school of Occupational Therapy and possess at least one year of experience in a physical disabilities setting. Additionally, the role requires a valid California Occupational Therapist license and Basic Life Support (CPR) certification.
Qualifications
- Education
- Bachelor degree
- Experience
- 2+ years of experience
Certifications
Key Skills
Occupational Therapist Career Context
In California, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$116k (192 salary observations; 386 listings), vs ~$96k nationally (5,208 salary observations; 15,532 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-09-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.
Of the 50 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 54% have no call, 76% require no weekends.
Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 5.1% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).
The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$154k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $139k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
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