Roles for Occupational Therapists

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Briefly what is OT?

"Occupational therapy is the assessment and treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions" (NHS, 2012).

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Who do OT's work with?

- Young children

- Adolescents

- Elderly

- Adults

(McKenna, Wright, & BPP School of Health. 2012).

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Where do OTs work?

- Hospitals

- Aged care homes

- Schools

- Private practice

- Community centres

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Why become an OT?

Are you interested in the following:

- Helping people?

- Helping people become independent in self care work and play?

- Being creative e.g. adapting current interventions and/or creating new interventions e.g. assistive equipment?

- Managing teams and being a leader?

- Offering sympathy, loyalty and trust e.g. following through with promises?

- On the spot problem solving?

- Analysing peoples routines, tasks, habits, interests and hobbies?

(McKenna, Wright, & BPP School of Health. 2012).

If you answer yes to some of these questions or all then becoming an OT might be for you!

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What makes "great" OT's?

Point One: Client centred practice. Practising with clients not for clients and consistently considering the clients point of view.

Practical skills e.g. helping a client transfer from a walking frame to a seat.

- Knowledge of activities such as painting, craft, cooking, gardening, sports and so fourth.

- Making splints or pressure garments.

- Drawing up plans for housing adaptations.

- Measuring anthropometrics of people to suit equipment such as wheelchairs.

(McKenna, Wright, & BPP School of Health. 2012).

- Academic skills e.g. evidence based practice.

- Literacy and numeracy skills.

- Critical thinking.

- Researching latest evidence.

- Analysing evidence based information and drawing conclusions.

(McKenna, Wright, & BPP School of Health. 2012).

- Personal skills e.g. communicating with others.

- Being patient.

- Active listening skills.

- Being open minded.

- Good verbal and non verbal skills as well as written skills.

- Confident in your opinion, respectful and calm.

- Positive outlook.

(McKenna, Wright, & BPP School of Health. 2012).

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1000 Hours of placement:

By practising with an experienced OT you build on clinical skills such as:

- Communication in dealing with tough or complicated situations.

- Assessment skills.

- Evidenced based intervention implementation.

- Working in a multidisciplinary team.

- Conducting mock interviews.

- Participating in presentations and debates, ward rounds and team meetings.

- Working in different areas of practice with multiple supervisors.

(McKenna, Wright, & BPP School of Health, 2012).

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References:

- McKenna, C., Wright, C., & BPP School of Health. (2012). Becoming a occupational therapist: Is occupational therapy really the career for you?. London: BPP Learning Media.

- NHS careers (2012) Occupational Therapist. [Online] Available at: www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/allied-health-professions/ careers-in-the-allied-health-professions/occupational-therapist/ [Accessed 14 November 2012].