what is an occupational therapist?
An occupational therapist provides treatment to patients with disability or long-term illnesses to help them perform daily activities like moving around and taking care of themselves. As an occupational therapist, you help patients improve the quality of their lives by adapting to their conditions and learning independence. You also recommend assistive devices and teach them how to use the tools to accomplish tasks.
As an occupational therapist, you work with seniors, young children and adults. You assess their difficulties in accomplishing tasks and teach them ways to improve the activities. You also recommend pain management strategies when participating in intense workouts.
what does an occupational therapist do?
While occupation refers to the profession or a job, it denotes daily activities that improve independence in occupational therapy. For instance, people with illness and disabilities have difficulty eating, bathing, doing office work or laundry. Your job is to ensure your patients perform simple activities without affecting their condition.
Most occupational therapists work in hospitals, rehabilitation centres, outpatient clinics and nursing homes. You will provide services to people with arthritis, spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke or cerebral palsy. You can also work in schools to evaluate children with disabilities and assist them with school activities. Maintaining skills needed for daily activities helps them recover.
Would working as an occupational therapist suit your compassionate nature? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in an occupational therapist position role.
average salary of an occupational therapist
According to National Careers, the average salary of an occupational therapist ranges from £25,654 to £45,838 per year. Your entry-level salary will be low, but it increases as you gain skills and experience. Some companies also award employees end of year bonuses and overtime pay. The compensation package includes health insurance schemes, pension benefits and various allowances related to the role.
how to increase your salary as an occupational therapist
Your earnings as an occupational therapist depend on your qualifications, years of experience and specialism. Hence, to increase your salary, acquire additional training or certifications that improve your skills and expertise. As you gain experience, the roles you undertake become complex, and the pay structure will reflect the additional responsibilities.
Your employer also impacts your earnings and extra benefits. For instance, an occupational therapist working in a hospital has a different pay structure from those working in schools or nursing homes. Large organisations also have attractive compensation packages compared to small or medium-sized hospitals or companies. However, you are likely to gain more experience in small organisations since you handle diverse clients. Large companies require an occupational therapist to focus on one specialism.
types of occupational therapists
An occupational therapist can specialise in the following areas:
- paediatric occupational therapist: when you enjoy working with children, you can specialise in paediatric occupational therapy. Your role is to assist children who cannot perform daily tasks due to disabilities. You will help kids develop general functioning like feeding, walking and crawling.
- geriatric occupational therapist: as a geriatric occupational therapist, you work with elderly patients to help them manage routine tasks easily. Your work involves assisting elderly patients in coping with arthritis, Alzheimer's, low vision and recovering from a stroke.
- mental health occupational therapist: when you specialise in mental health, you help clients overcome substance abuse, mood disorders and depression. You create wellness programmes to assist in stress management.
- physical rehabilitation: occupational therapists can help patients with physical rehabilitation. Your job is to guide clients on accomplishing tasks despite their physical problems. You also train patients to use specialised equipment and assistance devices.
working as an occupational therapist
Working as an occupational therapist is an exciting career if you enjoy working in the healthcare sector. Let's explore the specific roles and work routines.
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occupational therapist job description
While specific tasks depend on the patient and your specialism, some typical duties of an occupational therapist include:
- examining patients to determine their needs: as an occupational therapist, you evaluate every patient to identify the challenges they face. Aside from analysing their medical history, you examine their physical challenges and emotional needs.
- creating treatment plans: when you finish the evaluation, you can make realistic rehabilitation goals and treatment plans. Depending on the patient's mental and physical abilities, you should identify activities that help them develop life-management skills.
- demonstrating exercises: an occupational therapist demonstrates the physical activities patients should participate in during therapy sessions. For instance, you can demonstrate workouts that improve cognitive functions or motor skills. Exercises alleviate pain and may reduce reliance on pain medication. Hence, you need to instruct patients on the activities that boost physical rehabilitation.
- reviewing the progress of clients: as an occupational therapist, you need to regularly check the patient's progress. Evaluating clients after a specific period aids in assessing the effectiveness of the treatment plan. If the programme isn't producing results, you can upgrade to other strategies.
- educating patients' families on the support required: your job involves evaluating clients' workplaces and homes based on their healthcare needs. For instance, kitchen cabinets and items should be labelled for seniors with poor memory. It is also crucial to educate co-workers and family members on patient care. The family should be accommodative and provide support during the treatment plan.
- maintaining records: this is a standard task for occupational therapists. The documents are essential for assessing a client's condition and keeping records useful to other healthcare professionals. You need to provide a thorough review of the client's condition during evaluations and provide recommendations.
- recommending special equipment for patients: an occupational therapist can recommend special equipment to improve a patient's independence. For instance, patients with cerebral palsy need eating aids, leg braces and wheelchairs to help them perform various tasks. As an occupational therapist, you also train clients to use the support equipment.
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work environment
Occupational therapists work in different clinical settings, from hospitals to community healthcare stations. When you work for the government, your workstation is likely at social service units and community hospitals. Some occupational therapists work in nursing homes for people with special needs or the elderly. You spend most of the day evaluating patients' needs in offices or examination rooms. Sometimes, you have to work at the hospital physiotherapy unit for physical rehabilitation sessions. You can also help children participate in various school activities during physical education training.
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who are your colleagues?
As an occupational therapist, your colleagues might include physiotherapy assistants, community psychiatric nurse roles, dietitians, registered nurses and doctors, depending on your employer. You may also work in close proximity to deputy care managers, teachers and other specialists like surgeons, social workers and hospital administrators.
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work schedule
Occupational therapists work during regular office hours from 9 am to 5 pm. However, some hospitals and health facilities have a shift schedule, which means you have to work late night and early morning shifts. Even when you work the standard business hours, you have to attend to your patients during emergencies. For instance, if your client is admitted to the hospital due to an accident, you need to be on call to ensure the treatment administered doesn't inhibit the recovery process.
In healthcare facilities, occupational therapist positions are primarily full-time. However, other organisations provide part-time and short contract working arrangements. In schools and mental institutions, you only visit a few hours a day to check on patients' progress.
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job outlook
As an occupational therapist, you have many paths for career progression. You can move into senior roles or management positions under the NHS. Some occupational therapists move into research or lecture in academic institutions. Alternatively, identify specialisation options in the field and explore your interests. If you love working with the elderly, you can concentrate on senior care. Some occupational therapists specialise in paediatrics or mental health. Consider opening a private practice when you have years of experience and certifications.
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advantages of finding an occupational therapist job through randstad
Finding your occupational therapist job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as an occupational therapist is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
Some of the routes for becoming an occupational therapist include:
- university course: you can join the occupational therapy profession through a degree course in occupational therapy. The Health and Care Professions Council often approves the institutions for studying occupational therapy. The courses cover academic study and practical placements. If you already have a bachelor's degree in psychology, health science or biological science, you can do a postgraduate conversion course to join occupational therapy.
- apprenticeship: occupational therapists' apprenticeship degree usually takes four years to complete and includes workplace learning and academic study. The entry requirements for degree apprenticeships are 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 and A-Levels.
skills and competencies
Some of the skills include:
- communication skills: as an occupational therapist, you should explain exercises and treatment plans in simple terms. Exceptional communication skills help you handle patients of all ages.
- problem-solving skills: you need to be an excellent problem-solver to succeed as an occupational therapist. Each treatment plan relies on the patient's condition, and problem-solving skills help you identify the best options.
- organisational skills: your documentation and patient files should be updated regularly, and you need to keep track of your client's progress. Organisational skills help you maintain a schedule and attend to each patient on time.
FAQs
FAQs about working as an occupational therapist
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what exactly does an occupational therapist do?
Occupational therapists assist patients with injuries and disabilities with their daily routines. They help them perform simple tasks that improve their independence.
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are occupational therapists paid well?
Occupational therapists earn a lucrative salary depending on the employer. Those with additional experience and qualifications also enjoy a better compensation package.
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is an occupational therapist a good job?
Working in occupational therapy is a fulfilling career. You contribute to your patients' well-being and enjoy various opportunities for career growth.
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what is the difference between physiotherapy and occupational therapy?
Physiotherapy focuses on treating patients with physical dysfunctions of movement. Occupational therapy uses a holistic approach to help clients perform simple or self-care activities.
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is an occupational therapist a doctor?
Yes. An occupational therapist is a doctor who helps people with special needs to develop skills for performing various activities.
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how do I apply for an occupational therapist vacancy?
Applying for an occupational therapist job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
