Occupational Therapy Career Paper

An occupational therapist treat ill and/or disabled patients to regain the ability to do everyday activities. These patients could range from working with children, old adults, ones without a limb, alzheimer patients, and etc. They could also work at hospitals, schools, home health care services, or go to the patient’s home directly. This career requires a master’s degree in occupational therapy. The median annual wage for this career is $80,150 with being $38.54 per hour (BLS, 2015b). Employment of occupational therapist is projected to increase 27 percent, which is faster than the average compared than all occupations (BLS, 2015b). In the Las Vegas area, there are currently 124 full-time job openings and 35 part-time job openings (Indeed, 2016b). When I was in high school, occupational

To be able to participate in one 's own life, to do the things we want to do, and to competently perform the activities that form part of our daily, weekly or monthly routines, is a common goal for most people.  This not only includes taking part in the basic activities of self-care, such as grooming and dressing, but also extends to our work and leisure activities.  It is through doing things that we learn and develop as human beings.  The occupational therapy profession believes that being prevented or hindered in some way from participating in the activities that are important to us could adversely affect our health and wellbeing.

As an Occupational Therapy Assistant, I will work alongside an Occupational Therapist and work directly with patients. The difference between an OT and an OTA is that OT’s set up treatment plans and perform medical assessments while OTA’s carry out the treatment plans with the patients. In volunteering at rehab clinics, I’ve learned that Occupational Therapists often spend much of their time dealing with paperwork while OTA’s are performing more hands on work with people. Their day includes helping patients in performing rehabilitative exercises within a treatment plan. Occupational Therapy Assistants help people to regain their ability to perform activities of daily living, or ADL’s. These are the core aspects which

You need to have a master's degree in Occupational Therapist and a license. Common bachelor degrees in this field are biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, or an anatomy. While working on getting your master's degree you should study anatomy physiology and medical terminology Karma you also need to spend six months working with patients. Well most Occupational Therapist work full-time some work part-time. In this field you can work with children

There are many things that you have to be able to do to be a occupational therapist. You have to be able to “Test and evaluate patients ' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients” ("Occupational Therapists."Ohio Means Jobs ). This means that you have to be able to figure out your patient 's physical and mental abilities and you have to know what is best for your patient.

In order to be considered for a job in this field you need to have a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. Along with a Master’s Degree you also need to have a state license, be CPR or Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certified, sometimes both are necessary. In order to get a state license, you need to go through a Master’s program, have fieldwork experience, and pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam. Once pass the exam, you will be given an OTR credential and continued education will have to follow in order to maintain the OTR credential. Others optional certifications can be taken from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Also, you are required to have at least one to two years of experience, but some employers may differ. Key skills that an employer’s looks for in an Occupational Therapist are good communications and interpersonal skills, compassion, patience, and strong writing skills. Physical strength is sometimes taken into consideration as

To become an occupational therapist, you’ll need to graduate with a diploma, then attend a college or university and take courses like anatomy/physiology, biology, statistics, psychology, chemistry, and core classes like math and English. Then you’ll need to attend a university that offers an occupational therapy program that will take 5-6 years depending on whether or not you’re a full-time student. Later, when you

Watching different sessions of therapy at the hospital, I was able to see how the occupational therapists enhance an individual's ability to move upper extremities and allow a greater level of confidence and independence. My extensive variety of experiences throughout my college career has helped to develop and strengthen my personal and professional skills. My organizational skills and time management were enhanced while being a research associate for the biology team and being the Vice President of Outreach as well as the Vice President of Management of the leadership board for the Jewish Child Care Association. I feel I am suitable for this role because I am a tolerant, motivated, and capable individual, who wants to make a difference and enduring change to people’s

Also, I would need to think about what careers are the next step above an occupational therapists. As Dr. Oz once said “Whatever you choose, to do it fully with a passion and a child-like

To become an occupational therapists, a person has to have a certain degree of education. An occupation therapist has to have the minimum of a master’s degree, which takes 2-3 years, depending on the program. While taking the Master’s program, a person learns how to make an effective treatment plan for patients. They also learn how to use equipment suitable for the career (Occupational Outlook Handbook). A person pursuing this career must be good at using logic.

When people are unable to participate in the daily activities of their occupation, Brown and Hollis (2013) reported that people can experience a brief pause or disruption in their normal activities, a deprived state of activity that can severely restrict social, cultural, or personal engagements, or create an imbalance when a person becomes “unoccupied, under occupied, or over occupied” (p.1246). Eventually, any of these lapses in functioning can create or intensify other physical or mental issues. Santrock (2012) expressed that occupational therapists “help people regain, develop, and build skills that are important for independent functioning, health, well-being, security, and happiness” (p.45). Perhaps occupational therapy on the whole can be described as utilizing multiple techniques to help different people with one or several distinct impairments that hinder them at various times in their life. Kronenberg and Pollard (2006) stated that “occupational therapy is said to be based

Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitative Services, I have heard the majority of my fellow colleagues state that their reason for pursuing this degree is because they are interested in helping people. There are many other professions that require helping people so it makes me question not only them but myself, “How do I want to help people?”. Reflecting on this question also helped me realize why I want to help in the first place. The reason for this passion of mine comes from knowing that life moves incredibly fast, therefore, it is important to me that people live their life without difficulty and enjoy the present. As an Occupational Therapist I will be the person that the patient receives hope and encouragement from.

What do I want to do when I’m older? What college do I want to go to? How am I supposed to know this, I don’t even know what I want to eat for lunch! When I was little, I would always watch Hannah Montana, which was my all-time favorite show. I was convinced that when I grew up, I would become a popstar. I imagined myself living life just like she did. I even had a blonde wig which looked just like hers. Sometimes I would go into my room, put the wig on, and play her songs as loud as possible. I would get my hair brush out, use it as a microphone, and start dancing around my room like nobody was watching. But now, because I’m older, I realize my dreams of rock star fame and fortune have longed sizzled

Edward Everett Hale once stated, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” I feel that this statement is everything an occupational therapist is about. I cannot do everything, but I can and will do something to help individuals regain their lives back. I have seen how impactful occupational therapy is by watching the drastic changes it has on lives. The TTUHSC Master of Occupational Therapy program has every quality needed to gain knowledge of this field to help me reach my dreams of helping others.

Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Occupational therapy practitioners play an important role in the field of mental health. The need of occupational therapy varies from the adolescent to adults. Occupational therapist want to reach the ultimate goal, to fully engage and participate in community activities. These activities include being able to obtain a job and maintain it, being able to attend school, and living life independently (Castaneda, 2013). Occupational therapist provides barriers to gain function through interventions that focus on increasing existing skills, creating opportunities, promoting wellness, and modifying or adapting the environment or activity (Castaneda, 2013) Occupational therapy practitioners have open settings