Official Therapist Blog

Occupational Therapy Jobs and Career Outlook

Author Healthcare Jobs Blogger | 10.19.2009

Like physical therapy, occupational therapy is a growing field. The occupational therapy job market is expected to grow much faster than the national average for all other professions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that this is especially true for those who work with the elderly, but occupational therapists who work in hospitals or with school-aged children will also see an increase in opportunities.

So, what exactly is occupational therapy? While physical therapists tend to focus on the general health and strengthening of an individual, occupational therapists have more specific goals. Occupational therapists help patients in their ability to perform specific tasks and actions related to their everyday lives. These tasks could involve anything from putting on clothes or using a computer to memory-recall and abstract-reasoning needed for interpersonal relationships.

Occupational therapists work with patients who have any number of difficulties. Patients who have suffered a physical injury may need to adjust how they perform certain activities. Elderly patients suffering from arthritis need help learning joint protection techniques and other ways to ease pain while performing day-to-day tasks. Children with developmental disabilities benefit from similar adaptive learning, while patients with mental disabilities may learn life management skills, like preparing a budget, sequencing events, or cooking meals.

In all of these instances, the occupational therapist assesses the difficulties of his or her patients and finds modifications to ease those difficulties. Occupational therapists may work with an employer to adjust a patient’s work-space to be most effective or with a teacher to determine classroom modifications that would benefit a child’s ability to participate. Occupational therapists assess homes for safety hazards and provide any number of ways to make the home more accessible for the individual, while working with the patient to adjust his or her approach to daily tasks.

Occupational therapists are required to complete a Masters or Doctoral program in occupational therapy and pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam to obtain state licensure. If you are a student interested in pursuing an occupational therapy career, visit the American Occupational Therapy Association for more information.

Once certified, occupational therapists can find job opportunities in hospitals, rehabilitative clinics, schools, and individual homes, providing personal home care. For more information about occupational therapy jobs that might be right for you, visit www.travelforce.com.