Effects of Supplements

Overview

An occupational therapist helps people with disabilities to learn the skills or recover the skills to be more independent in their lives. Traditionally occupational therapy (OT) is concerned with the small muscles, such as in the hand, while physical therapy deals mainly with large muscle groups and mobility. According to “U. S. News and World Report, ” 50% of occupational therapists report that their jobs are not stressful, making OT the ninth least stressful job in the country.

To be an effective occupational therapist you must have excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to imagine effective adaptations to assist a patient to become independent with a particular skill or skill set. Often a patient makes very slow progress and may become very frustrated or noncompliant in practicing therapy at home between therapy appointments. Patience and the ability to motivate and encourage clients are essential characteristics of a good OT.

Education

In order to work as an occupational therapist, you must have at least a master’s degree from an accredited OT program that includes a minimum of 24 hours supervised field work with clients. Following completion of the master’s degree, therapists who want to practice the profession must pass a national certification test. Following passage of the test, the are officially “Occupational Therapist Registered” and can put the designation after their names with the letters OTR.

Psychology, anthropology, liberal arts, anatomy and biology all make excellent undergraduate degrees for the individual intending to pursue a master’s degree. In the master’s program coursework focuses on application of occupational therapy theory, behavioral sciences, life sciences and physical sciences.

Currently their are 150 master’s and combined bachelor’s-master’s degree and four doctoral programs in the United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

“U. S. News and World Report” magazine ranked the top occupational therapy programs in the United States. The top five programs are Boston College (Sargent), Washington University in St. Louis, University of Southern California, University of Illinois in Chicago, Tufts Boston and the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Expected Job Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapy jobs is expected to grow significantly faster than most fields, particularly in the sub-field working with the elderly. It ranked as one of the 50 best careers of 2010 in “U. S. News and World Report.”

In 2008, only 105,000 people were working as occupational therapists. This is projected to increase by 26% between 2008 and 2018. The anticipated number of occupational therapists working in the U. S. In 2018 is 131,300.

Salary

Most occupational therapists work in hospitals, but can also be found working in nursing homes, schools, private practice, mental health settings and in home health care.

In 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average salary for OTs was $67,780. The top 10% earned more than $98,310, while the bottom 10% earned less than $42,820.

Therapists working in home health care services were the most highly paid, averaging a salary of about $74,510 per year. Those working in nursing homes averaged $72,790 a year, while licensed occupational therapy professionals working in schools earned about $60,020 per year.

Looking for a challenging and rewarding career? Why not try the medical field? Our website offers the tools and resources you need to find travel nurse jobs, and nurse practitioner jobs.

When it comes to nurse practitioners, most people do not have an understanding of them. The facts are that these highly trained professionals can provide the very same care that most doctors do, but with other benefits included.

There are several myths surrounding this field and they are due to people not really knowing anything about it. Many clinics now offer the choice of doctor or nurse and given that most choose the physician. The thing is that the nurse can provide the same care as the doctor and are just as competent.

Most do not realize that these nurses can diagnose any common health problem and provide medication. They have spent a great number of years in school, and their training matches that of the doctor. Their residential clinicals are also very similar.

School requirements

When it comes to getting a degree in this up and coming field, it usually takes about two years of training. This will be based on the amount of schooling and classes that have already been finished. A school counseling professional will likely be able to assist in going over these details and choosing future classes.

Before ever considering the practitioner program a nursing degree must be obtained. This can be from any reputable two year school. After this goal is reached then it is time to move towards the next one. It is a hard area of study, but it will be worth the extra efforts in the end.

Clinicals are also required and can usually be done in a minimal amount of time. They are vital in giving any medical professional the hands on experiences that cannot be found in the classroom. The next step will be to take a test that is given by the state of residence. This is a very intense exam and is formatted the same in almost all places.

Many jobs

After gaining the best of educations, a nursing professional can easily obtain work. There are many nurse practitioner jobs on the market. They are very sought after as they have such a vast amount of training. The great part is that jobs can be found in any area of medicine.

It is typical for most of the specialists to pick a job in family care. This is where they can see patients each day and care for the common ailments that people often suffer from. However, there are also those nurses who go beyond this field and find employment in more exciting places. Many choose to work with athletes and others find that the elderly offer a more rewarding experience.

The field of education also provides many opportunities. Colleges are currently seeking out nurses who specialize in their fields. They make for great instructors as they have had the same experiences that most nursing students are going through. This makes the pupils more comfortable and provides them with a role model for all of their future endeavors.

Nurse practitioners can provide all of the same things that most physicians can. They have the same type of training behind their services and there is not as long of a wait to see them. Next time you are offered the choice, be sure to try the nurse. It may be one of the best decisions you have made.

Looking for a challenging and rewarding career? Why not try the medical field? Our website offers the tools and resources you need to find travel nurse jobs, and occupational therapy jobs.