Inpatient Occupational Therapist IHR-Casual As Needed

Occupational TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$52-$58/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1 day ago · Verified live

Job Description

Company Description

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry.

As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better health care, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system.

We pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, our goal is to take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Rehabilitation Services at Northwestern Medicine is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team within our growing, nationally recognized health system that provides world-class care at 10 hospitals and more than 200 locations in communities throughout Chicago, the suburbs and northern Illinois. Together with Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, we are pushing boundaries in innovative care delivery, training the next generation of rehabilitation specialists, and pursuing excellence in patient care.

Rehabilitation Services values building relationships with our patients and their families, understanding the needs of our clinical and non-clinical staff, and providing opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and program development.

Our integration with hospitals and clinics across Northwestern Medicine make it possible for us to serve more patients, closer to where they live and work. While each of our locations has a unique story, Rehabilitation Services at Northwestern Medicine is unified under one mission – Patients First.

Job Description

The licensed Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

A licensed occupational therapist who complies with the Code of Ethics/Standards of Practice as outlined by their professional organization and by the State of Illinois.

The position includes direct patient care, teaching, participation on appropriate committees and departmental process improvement.

Serves as a role model for all therapists and clinical interns in all aspects of professional, clinical, communication, education and leadership activities.

Responsibilities

  • Demonstrates the NM values of Patients First, Integrity, Teamwork, and Excellence.
  • Presents a friendly, approachable, professional demeanor and appearance.
  • Provides accurate information and timely updates to patients and customers.
  • Uses effective service recovery skills to solve problems or service breakdowns when they occur.
  • Communicates effectively with others, respects diverse opinions and styles, and acknowledges the assistance and contributions of others.
  • Uses organizational and unit/department resources efficiently.
  • Facilitates collaborative care with other healthcare team members.
  • Manages work schedule efficiently, completing tasks and assignments on time.
  • Contributes to opportunities and processes for continuous improvement.
  • Participates in efforts to reduce costs, streamline work processes, improve and grow services we provide.

Demonstrates essential skill competencies in selecting the appropriate evaluation in the use of treatment modalities, equipment and protocols. Performs re-evaluations according to department guidelines, adjusting the treatment plan accordingly. Evidenced by chart review.

Demonstrates creative problem solving and diversity when adapting the treatment to special circumstances.

Assumes complete responsibility over the course of OT patient management from the time of initial contact to discharge for functional progress, safety and treatment outcome as evidenced by team feedback and documentation. Maintains primary responsibility over patient plans of care through timely and consistent collaboration with treating COTA(s).

Adheres to department policy regarding evaluations, progress notes, and discharge summaries. All notes reflect medical necessity and are accurately entered per policy into the electronic medical record.

Completes daily notes that reflect patient's response to treatment, actual performance, and an assessment as to status, relevant to the treatment plan and eventual discharge needs as evidenced by chart review, meeting all regulatory documentation requirements (e. g., allows other therapists to continue treatment, allows for interpretation by payers, supports reimbursement).

Provides educational materials and methods appropriate to the patient's level of understanding and motivation as evidenced by chart review, observation and team feedback.

Participates in committees, department processes, and special projects in accordance with clinical expertise and individual performance plan.

Creates a culture of respectful communication by listening, asking for input, open and honest conversation, approachability and timely acknowledgement of individual and team contributions.

Works to develop and maintain professional relationships with members of healthcare teams (ex: physician, nurse, case manager). Participates in internal and external marketing per department expectations.

Accepts constructive feedback and is able to make timely changes as evidenced by written coaching forms/chart audits and team feedback.

Proactively completes non-patient care responsibilities within established time frames consistently (e. g. coverage notes, PTO/schedule change requests, bonus pay forms, discharge checklists, follow up phone calls).

Contributes to educational efforts of department/clinic (e. g. in-services, Journal Club, new hire orientation, process improvement).

Actively participates in student clinical or observation programs by serving as a clinical instructor, mentor, or observation host as per department expectations

Maintains Productivity Standards per Department Expectations

  • Completes all NM required education, competencies and training within required timeframes.
  • Demonstrates willingness to accommodate patient care needs and department specific meetings as needed.

Demonstrates willingness to flex schedule or assignment to meet patient care needs, staff meetings, and department specific meetings outside normal work hours

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy

Licensure

Occupational Therapist License in the state of Illinois

Certification

BLS from American Heart Association upon hire

Preferred

Masters or Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy

Additional Information

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers.

If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check.

Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events.

  • Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information
  • NorthwesternMedicine Career Page

jobs.nm.org

Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings.

If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.

  • Job Shift: Rotating
  • Salary Range Minimum: $52.00
  • Salary Range Maximum: $58.00
  • Compensation: USD 52 - USD 58 - hourly

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Clinical evaluationTreatment planningPatient educationElectronic medical recordsClinical instructionRegulatory complianceTime management

Occupational Therapist Career Context

In Illinois, the Occupational Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$92k (229 salary observations; 677 listings), vs ~$96k nationally (4,024 salary observations; 20,992 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2026-01-01 through 2026-10-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$114k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $114k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 40 active Occupational Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 45% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

Occupational Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.6% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top Occupational Therapist Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution19 jobs

6
<$110k
10
$110k-125k
0
$125k-140k
3
$140k-155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks28 jobs · 26 employers

401k / retirement match
100% this job
CME allowance
64%
Loan repayment
29% this job
Sign-on bonus
18% this job
PSLF eligible
11%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Occupational Therapist (OT)- South County

Home Care Providers Group · San Diego, California

$158k – $198k
#2

Occupational Therapist- Redding/Red Bluff

Home Care Providers Group · Yuba City, California

Salary Range: $95.00/…
#3

Home Care Occupational Therapist

$74-$93.75/hr
#4

Home Care Occupational Therapist- (Morris County)

$74-$93.75/hr
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Occupational Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 9,317 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Geneva

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$454k
Typical market rent
$2,158/mo
Residents’ average commute
28 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare logo

About Northwestern Memorial Healthcare

Hospitals and Health Care
Chicago, Illinois
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Tuition Reimbursement
Loan Forgiveness
401(k) Matching
Lifecycle Benefits