JobsAdvocate Health

Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) - Inpatient

Advocate Health · Oshkosh, WI

Posted Sep 8, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Walk me through a time you were treating a patient under an OT's plan of care and you noticed something wasn't going the way you expected. What did you do?

whether the candidate respects the supervisory relationship while still using clinical judgment to flag problems

Tell me about a patient you helped with a bathroom transfer or functional mobility task who was scared or resistant. How did you get them to participate?

hands-on skill combined with communication and patient trust-building in inpatient rehab

Tell me about a piece of equipment or modality you had to learn on the job that you hadn't used much before. How did you get comfortable with it?

willingness to learn department-specific equipment and follow orientation checklists

Describe a time you had to perform a sliding transfer or move a patient who weighed significantly more than you, with another staff member helping. What did that look like?

physical capability and proper body mechanics awareness for the job's lifting demands

Tell me about working with a patient far outside your own age group, say a pediatric or a geriatric case. What did you adjust?

comfort applying age-specific care principles across the lifespan as required by the job

What do you do to keep your own clinical skills current, whether that's continuing education or reading up on new techniques?

genuine investment in professional growth beyond minimum requirements

Technical

How do you decide what to include in a home program you send a patient off with at discharge?

understanding of practical, individualized discharge planning versus generic handouts

What's your documentation routine for a typical day, including getting co-signatures from the supervising OT?

grasp of the required documentation workflow and compliance with co-signature rules

How would you explain the difference between what an OT does in an evaluation and what you do as the OTA carrying out treatment?

basic scope-of-practice knowledge for OTA versus OT roles

Situational

You're covering a part-time weekend shift and you get handed a caseload that includes a patient you've never worked with, no time to read the full chart before you start. How do you approach that first session?

ability to prioritize safety and gather essential information quickly under real time pressure

A patient's insurance only authorizes a limited number of visits and they still have real functional deficits. How do you handle planning treatment within that constraint?

awareness of insurance authorization limits and ability to prioritize goals under resource constraints

Since this schedule is one weekend a month plus weekday PRN, how do you handle picking up shifts and letting the site know when you can or can't cover?

reliability and communication around a part-time, on-call-style schedule

If you noticed a coworker using an unsafe transfer technique with a patient, what would you do?

willingness to speak up for patient safety and give peer feedback appropriately

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 37501 AMC Oshkosh - Acute Care Rehabilitation Status: Part time Benefits Eligible: No Hou rs Per Week: 0 Schedule Details/Additional Information: 1 weekend/month, weekdays PRN as able. Pay Range: $25.30 - $37.95 Major Responsibilities: • Assists the Occupational Therapist in evaluation of the patient's physical, perceptual, cognitive, social, and vocational abilities and the impact on the patient's activities of daily living. Identifies factors affecting patient's physical and psychosocial comfort and attends to these needs. • Implements individual treatment to re-train and teach compensatory techniques for residual disability in activities of daily living, adapted homemaking techniques, bathroom transfers, functional application of mobility skills and, when appropriate, training in adapted work methods. Monitors and notifies/updates the supervisory therapist of patient's response to treatment given. • Plans for patient discharge including providing written home programs, patient/family teaching, and ordering equipment with direction of evaluating/supervising. • Completes all required documentation with appropriate co-signatures, including patient progress notes, team conference reports, discharge summaries, and records patient care and progress of each patient assigned as well as daily statistics, billing, and scheduling. Applies insurance guidelines regarding authorization and number of visits. • Responsible for cleaning up after patient treatment, putting away equipment, and keeping area neat and orderly. Performs various manual techniques, patient positioning, transferring and transporting duties, which require lifting and pushing/pulling, while utilizing proper technique. • Demonstrates skill in use of modalities, exercise equipment and other devices that are available in area worked per department orientation checklist. Demonstrates knowledge of indications and contraindications of modalities and exercise. • Participates in performance improvement activities designed to identify and resolve problems affecting patient care outcomes and to improve quality of care. Manages assigned caseload, informing site leadership of coverage needs and ability to cover; assists with coverage, based on department needs and regional needs. • Pursues professional growth through participation in continuing education courses, department inservices, and reading professional literature. Orients new staff to clinical and department policies as requested. Participates in the evaluation process of co-workers by providing verbal or written feedback as requested. • Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards. Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required: • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) needs to be obtained within 6 months unless department leader has determined it is not required, and • Occupational Therapy Assistant license issued by the state of Wisconsin. Education Required: • Associate's Degree in Occupational Therapy Assist. Experience Required: • No experience required. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: • Intermediate computer skills. • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. • Good organization, decision-making, and problem solving skills. Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: • Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, and squat throughout the workday. • Must be able to: • Lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist. • Lift up to 10 lbs. from waist to overhead. • Lift and carry up to 40 lbs. at waist height a reasonable distance. • Must be able to: • Push/pull with 30 lbs. of force. • Perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present. • Position requires repetitive use of hands: • Simple grasping - 5-15 lbs. - 20% of the workday. • Pushing/pulling - up to 75-100 lbs. - 10% of the day. • Fine manipulation of hands during massage and joint mobilization. • Must have functional use of senses to allow for effective communication. • Exposed to electrical and chemical hazards as well as blood and body fluids; therefore must have ability to wear protective clothing as needed. • Position may require travel; therefore may be exposed to road and weather hazards. • Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job. This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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