Lisa, a Registered Occupational Therapist, says of the patients she serves “I help them gain the skills needed to live meaningful and functional lives.”
Lisa decided in high school that she wanted to do something in a health career. She looked into physical therapy, but decided against it when she learned that most physical therapy schools look for candidates with a sports background. Lisa said, “I’m not really into the whole sports thing.” With a little research, she discovered a similar career, occupational therapy. Where physical therapy is very much concerned with regaining muscle strength, occupational therapy deals with how to use what strength there is. Lisa decided that this was something she would like to try.
In college, she took a wide variety of classes in different areas: Anatomy & Physiology, Gross Anatomy (which involves working with a cadaver), Kinesiology (the science of movement), Psychology & Human Development from birth to death, occupational therapy theory classes (what is OT, history of OT, balance of work & leisure & play), activities of daily living (dressing, grooming, eating, hygiene), and patient transfer, arts & crafts (used in therapeutic settings).
When Lisa started school, the program was a Bachelor’s level program. As of 2007, the minimum requirement for professional licensure is a Master’s degree. The current programs are usually 5 years long. There are also several programs that offer entry-level Doctoral programs. All programs require at least 6 months of supervised internship.
When asked what she would have done differently in high school, Lisa said, “I would have made sure I took more science classes, like biology, chemistry and physics. I also would advise anyone considering OT as a career to take art classes and, of course, social sciences like psychology.” High school students should also consider volunteering in a health care setting for three reasons: you could do some good in your community, you would see if a career in health care was what you really wanted and it looks good on a college application.
The personal characteristics that anyone considering OT should have are excellent interpersonal skills (you will constantly deal with people, some of whom will be ill or injured), patience, compassion, ingenuity and imagination, and the ability to care about people.
Once you have graduated from an accredited educational program, you will have to take and pass a national certification exam. When you pass the exam you are awarded the title, Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR). Individual states may require state licensure and additional education for therapists working in schools or early-intervention programs.
Lisa mentioned that there are several specialties within the practice of OT. They are generally achieved with on-the-job training, seminars, and/or additional class-work. A therapist can specialize in pediatric, geriatric, psychiatric or educational OT. There is also a very specific specialization in hand therapy, which deals with regaining functional use of the hands.
Once you are on the job, you will deal with different types of patients, requiring different types and levels of therapy depending on the setting.
In an acute care facility, such as a hospital, the therapist will be involved with much less intense therapy, focusing on activities like getting safely out of bed, getting dressed, and bed-level therapy.
In a rehabilitation facility, where the patients are medically stable, there is more intense therapy depending on the patient. Lisa said, “In a typical day in rehab, I might deal with a hip fracture patient, a CVA (stroke) patient, and a TBI (traumatic brain injury) patient. Each of these patients requires very different types of therapy and I have to read their charts and with the medical staff plan a course of therapy for each patient.” The hip fracture patient may need therapy to be able to transfer him/herself from bed to chair, from chair to tub, etc. The stroke patient may need work in dressing, bathing, etc. The therapist must also be able to fabricate splints that will position limbs in a functional position. Lisa said, “One case I had involved a young mother who had had a stroke. The OT team had to develop techniques that would allow this woman to care for herself and her baby with only one functional arm. It took a lot of work on the part of all team members, but it was very satisfying when we were able to send this woman home, confident that she had the skills necessary to care for her family.” When dealing with TBI patients, much of the therapist’s work is in the areas of cognition and motor skills. I might use various exercises, games and therapeutic crafts to help regain cognitive ability and fine motor skills.”, said Lisa. All of these games and crafts must be tailored to hold the individual patient’s interest or the patient will not become involved in recovery. As you can see, there is no typical day in a rehabilitation center.
In a home-care setting, the therapist may be involved in assessing the abilities and needs of the patient, and/or performing therapy at the patient’s home.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, the median earnings of occupational therapists in May 2004, were $54,660. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,430 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $81,600.
There are also opportunities for per diem or part-time work in hospital, rehabilitation center, or home care settings. This allows therapists like Lisa to raise a family and still maintain
professional skills. “I have a young daughter and do not want to work full-time, but I can do per diem work on week-ends when my husband is available to take care of Sophia, our daughter.” Occupational Therapy is a health profession that offers multiple opportunities to continue a career. O.T.’s can work in a variety of settings, on a full-time, part-time or per diem basis.
