I Want To Be An Occupational Therapist Essay

My long-term goal is to learn the techniques that are used by patients to help them progress. In addition, I want to explore the different work environments, which the occupational therapists work in such as in hospitals, clinics, or schools.

Occupational therapists in Pennsylvania are required to obtain 24 contact hours every two years in continued competency activities to maintain their licensure (Pennsylvania Department of State, 2013). In addition, the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (2016) requires practitioners to obtain 36 units of continued education every three years. LIU 12 provides financial resources in the form of tuition reimbursement for occupational therapists to continue their education and meet their licensure and certification

The licensure requirement I looked up for where I live in CT. For an Occupational therapy license, one must have received a bachelor’s degree and a graduate program that has been accredited by the AOTA. They also could have completed an

Their responsibility is to treat their clients by using everyday activities such as cooking to help their clients improve their skills that are needed. An occupational therapist, needs to complete a degree in occupational therapy, then needs to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, also known as HCPC. They undertake an assessment for their clients by going to their home to assess what they can do, and to advise them on what adaptations they may need in their home, this then helps the them go onto treatment planning where they can decide what their client needs such as a carer, or equipment to help

The Psychology Major’s Handbook by Tara L. Kuther gives a list of positions that Psychology majors can obtain with a bachelor’s degree. This list is helpful because only one-fourth of psychology majors go to graduate school immediately following graduation (Kuther, 2015, p. 170). Within this list, the occupation that caught my eye was that of an Occupational Therapist. Though one cannot be an Occupational Therapist with only a bachelor’s degree, one can be an Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA) with a bachelor’s degree. With other training and licensure, an individual with a bachelor’s in psychology can work in the field of Occupational Therapy because psychology teaches one human service skills. Employers may not understand why a psychology major would be eligible for a job like Occupational Therapy; thus it is the responsibility of the applicant to explain their eligibility for the desired position (Kuther, 2015, p. 171).

I chose occupational therapy because it helps people with special needs or rehab stuff to help them get better and get through school or work days. What do occupational therapists do and who do they work with? “Occupational therapy services typically include: an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals, customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals, and an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan (ACTA).” Occupational therapist often work with younger kids with special needs to help them make it through school but sometimes they work with

An occupational therapy degree can be obtained through a master’s or doctorate degree. Courses for this degree may include anatomy and physiology, psychology, biology, kinesiology, and anthropology. Clinical rotations will also be required for each program. The individual must graduate from an accredited program, pass the national board examination to become certified, and take a licensure exam for whatever state they plan to work in. Occupational therapy, like physical therapy, has specialization in pediatrics, physical rehabilitation, gerontology, and mental health.

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

As a sophomore majoring in health science, the goal I have is to pursue a career as an occupational therapist. This career gives me plenty of opportunities I can only benefit from. Whether it comes from job security, steady income, occupational therapy allows me to use my abilities to help someone regain the abilities they once had. To be able to change the life of others as a career seems to be the most rewarding opportunity I could ever take. In order to achieve this goal of being an occupational therapist, there is a long journey of schooling and getting licensed ahead of me.

“The best days are the days that I get to a patient’s home and I am told that he or she has been able to perform a task that in the past was impossible.” -Dr. Tom Wright (“Occupational Therapist”). If helping out people to let them do what they once thought was impossible is something that makes a person feel happy and great, becoming an occupational therapist might be a job he or she would like to consider. Choosing a job is a huge choice in someone’s life, so he or she needs to make many decisions.

Physical Therapy is a graduate’s/doctorate’s degree. The first step to becoming a Physical Therapist is getting accepted to an accredited Physical Therapy School. Prospective applicants who are interested applying to PT school must meet the following requirements: complete a bachelor's degree, complete course prerequisites for your designated programs, pass the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), accumulate experience/shadow hours in a physical therapy setting and ask letters of recommendations. For the letters of recommendation, it is advised that the three recommenders are a Physical therapist (PT), a science professor, or who is either another word/academic reference. These following requirements will prepare an applicant for physical therapy school. Once a student has completed their degree in Physical Therapy, he/she will Yes, once a student has completed their Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, he/she is eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). According to Applicants may take the exam three times in a twelve-month period. Every graduate of physical therapy must pass to become a licensed physical therapist or licensed/certified physical therapist assistant (or to regain licensure/certification if lapsed) in the United States

My personal experience with Occupational therapy is watching my grandpa go through it; he had fallen in a parking lot and had sustained a traumatic brain injury. He had surgery but then had a long road of recovery ahead of him. He had gone from not being able to get out of a chair to being able to hold a toothbrush and brushing his teeth again over a few months. I would go visit him and would watch the occupational therapists work with him so he could gain some of his independence back. They would help show him tools to make things like putting on his socks easier for him. Once he was home he still needed to do exercises like walking, so I would put the gait belt on him and walk with him so he would not get hurt again. He also developed Parkinson’s and dementia so there were times that he struggled with understanding what to do so I have also had experience working with the mental aspect. Working with him and watching him recover is such a great and rewarding feeling and I want to experience that with my career. I know becoming an Occupational Therapist Assistant is what I am meant to

Well after a few days of researching I was convinced that this was my calling all along. I thought to myself “I wish I would have known about this nine years ago”. Now that I found what I wanted to do I needed to find a school that offered some sort of occupational therapy program. I did some research again and found that my very own community college offered the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. I then took the necessary steps to apply to school and spoke with an advisor on any classes that I may need in order to apply to the program. So spring 2017 I took two classes and that May I turned in my

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

Therapy focuses on issues and problems that are troubling the client at the present moment and try to help them using brief therapy. Therapists typically ask questions about family role patterns, rules, goals, and stages of development.