NICU Occupational Therapist

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist (OT) with NICU experience for a 14-week travel assignment in Salinas, California.

This role is ideal for an Occupational Therapist with strong pediatric and neonatal clinical skills who is comfortable evaluating and treating medically complex infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Candidates must have at least 3 years of Occupational Therapy experience, including a minimum of 1 year of NICU experience. An active California Occupational Therapy license, Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, and current American Heart Association BLS are required.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate premature and medically complex infants in the NICU.
• Assess neonatal motor development, positioning, tone, sensory responses, and functional abilities.
• Develop individualized occupational therapy treatment plans based on infant needs and developmental goals.
• Provide developmentally appropriate therapeutic interventions.
• Support infant positioning, handling, movement, and neuromotor development.
• Assess and support sensory regulation and tolerance to environmental stimulation.
• Provide therapeutic positioning to promote development and prevent secondary complications.
• Monitor infant response to therapy and adjust treatment approaches as needed.
• Support developmental care practices within the NICU.
• Educate parents and caregivers regarding positioning, handling, developmental milestones, and home-care strategies.
• Collaborate with neonatologists, nurses, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, respiratory therapists, and other members of the NICU team.
• Participate in interdisciplinary rounds and patient-care planning.
• Assist with discharge planning and caregiver education.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation.
• Follow infection-control, patient-safety, and neonatal-care standards.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must have:

• Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy
• Active California Occupational Therapy license
• Current BLS / Healthcare Provider certification through the American Heart Association
• Minimum 3 years of Occupational Therapy experience
• Minimum 1 year of recent NICU Occupational Therapy experience
• Strong neonatal assessment and treatment skills
• Ability to work effectively in a high-acuity neonatal environment
• Strong communication and interdisciplinary collaboration skills

Required NICU Experience

Candidates should be comfortable with:

• Premature infants
• Medically complex newborns
• Developmental positioning
• Neuromotor assessment
• Muscle tone assessment
• Sensory regulation
• Infant handling
• Developmental care
• Caregiver education
• Interdisciplinary NICU collaboration

Preferred Qualifications

Strong candidates may also have experience with:

• Level III or Level IV NICU environments
• Neonatal developmental therapy
• Feeding and oral-motor support within OT scope
• High-risk infant follow-up
• Pediatric rehabilitation
• Developmental assessments
• Early intervention
• Parent and caregiver training
• Previous travel therapy experience

Key Clinical Skills

Successful candidates should be comfortable with:

• Neonatal Occupational Therapy
• NICU developmental care
• Prematurity
• Developmental positioning
• Neuromotor development
• Sensory processing
• Tone management
• Infant handling
• Developmental assessment
• Parent education
• Discharge planning
• Interdisciplinary care
• Clinical documentation

Schedule Requirements

• Flexible schedule
• Five 8-hour shifts per week
• 40 hours per week
• Typical shift start may be around 8:00 AM
• Approximately one weekend per month is required
• Exact schedule may vary based on NICU census and department needs

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an experienced NICU Occupational Therapist who is comfortable working with premature and medically fragile infants and collaborating closely with neonatal care teams.

You should have strong developmental assessment skills, excellent clinical judgment, and the ability to provide family-centered care in a high-acuity environment.

This opportunity may be a strong fit for professionals currently working as a:

• NICU Occupational Therapist
• Neonatal Occupational Therapist
• Pediatric Occupational Therapist
• Acute Care Occupational Therapist
• Developmental Therapist
• Travel Occupational Therapist

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants based on education, experience, licensure, certifications, clinical skills, and the requirements of the position.