(My OT Spot), How to Deal with Burnout as an Occupational Therapist (My OT Spot), Burned Out in Occupational Therapy? Some institutions may require you to have completed set prerequisite subjects in your undergraduate degree. A quick note: I first wrote this post several years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, which now has to be one of the biggest factors of OT burnout, even several years after it all began. You may not know what floats your boat. The top non-clinical occupational therapy jobs of 2022 1) Clinical/rehab liaison Pros Cons 2) Clinical educator/trainer Pros Cons 3) Educator/professor Pros Cons 4) Clinical informatics specialist Pros Cons 5) Management and operations Pros Cons 6) Telehealth Pros Cons 7) Utilization reviewer Pros Cons I am interested in changing fields of OT, I have worked in mental health OT for a while and want to build my skills in other areas. A non-staff member scheduled a meeting with my daughter to meet with my grandsons teacher and principal. "They will remark disparagingly, 'I'm just a clinician,' I don't know what else I could do," Fork says. This can include treating inappropriate patients who do not need skilled therapy, keeping patients on for far longer than what is beneficial, over-treating the patients to bill for more minutes, and more. We don't know. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Hybrid remote. Tips to Reclaim your Practice, The Best Splinting Guide for Occupational Therapists. For example, you may need to be able to drive and go to the grocery store. Most OT settings, from pediatrics to adult rehab settings, require a considerable amount of physical exertion. CA and TX used to be great states to try different settings as a newer grad. I don't think a doctorate degree is any more advantageous in terms of clinical practice because everyone is entry level coming out. That way my total compensation isnt lower as a result of working a few less hours. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 4. Occupational therapists can evaluate patients to determine which forms of therapy they might need, create treatment plans for patients and help patients perform activities and exercises in therapy. Permanent + 1. Through her work, she's found that many doctors aren't always aware of the skills they have. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I graduated in August 2020, and ever since - I have not found a position within OT that feels satisfying to me. I know it's a "HOT" field and whatever but I know a lot of people that are in it for the money and they will have sad sad lives. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Thank you all! I taught, I educated, and hopefully, I inspired those who attended to make changes and take control of their rehabilitative process. I am feeling discouraged and jaded about the field of OT. and we come out thinking every job will be fantastic. OT came to me like an epiphany and for the past two years I thought I was preparing for my dream career. If youre wondering if your city is saturated, check Indeed.com regularly and see if new job postings are listed, in addition to seeing how many OT and OTA programs exist in the city. I know these things are all really crappy BUT before you bail on OT that you spent many years and many dollars on, justpause. Occupational therapy could definitely use a gender-diversity facelift. You can't only know about the good, beautiful things about OT. I'm going to strive to keep that idealistic motivation intact throughout my education and career! Some can leave you feeling frustrated or even downright miserable. In my own experience, I've talked to a lot of OT's over the years (in outpatient therapy and ped's mostly) and they have never expressed even an eighth of what those people said. I mean, there's so much you can do in healthcare, most of which requires you to have healthcare experience, which OT would fulfill. In this paper, I reflect upon two aspects of the human as an occupational being: 1) the biological need for occupation, and 2) tempo and temporality as a way of beginning to generate a blueprint for global health. Whats the setting? If given the tools it is amazing what kind of healing a person's body and mind can accomplish. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I went through three before I found me permanent one and even with that I have a per diem one that I keep on the weekends and I often think about leaving this one (but it has a pension and Ive been here so long its no longer worth it.) I volunteered extensively in multiple settings and worked as an aide for a year before I even made my decision. Do any of you really think that an ot is a glorified CNA? Please note that we are not able to give specific treatment advice or exercises to do at home. But that still depends on what a person wants from their career. Over 40 years I worked inpatient, rehab, outpatient hands, workplace health, nursing homes and home health. Very encouraging information! Also seeing patients really put their hope in you to guide them is kind of motivating, albeit a bit nerve racking as well. Whileit may not seem blatantly unethical, many companies have productivity targets that are way too high to be able to ensure proper care and documentation of patients. Press J to jump to the feed. Carrie Madigan, an occupational therapist who worked for Kindred at Home in Omaha, Nebraska, said she was laid off in November as the company the largest U.S. home health provider cut. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. doing what you love. Audio. He lost his family preservation counselor that contracted to the school because of federal cutbacks and he was not given any additional support in the classroom. I agree with this. Some people are never satisfied no matter what. She is still going into grad school, but for something else. You can stay where you are unhappy or go somewhere else. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Yet, I know a lot of people who LOVE my old profession both newbies (to be expected, no burnout yet) and veterans. Occupational therapy helps patients to do daily activities or "occupations." Those activities include cooking, bathing, shopping, eating, getting dressed, and caring for loved ones. For Valentines Day, my grandson told his aunt that he needed to buy his new teachers a box of chocolates each because at his new school, they like him. Ive personally found that non-profit rehab and hospital OT and COTA positions generally have better, more realistic productivity requirements compared to for-profit rehab companies. Learn how your comment data is processed. Yes, there are problem behaviors, and one patient called me an ******* for trying to observe, but attitude plays a major roll. Being an occupational therapist requires a bachelor's degree in biology, kinesiology, health sciences, physiology or a related field. If you are not OK with this, you can opt-out if you wish. Kids should be reading, playing, and having fun - not working. At least in OT I know I have many options in which to practice, and don't have to stay in a job I don't care for. 5.) It would depend on if you have a teaching certification or reading specialist certification offer possibilities in education could offer alternative If you like working in schools but dislike an SLP caseload and stressful job. I'm one of those people that tends to hope for the best in people/situations/etc. Alternatively, if you have already completed an undergraduate degree, complete a masters degree in occupational therapy. It does pay well but you do toilet transfers, see body fluids from wounds and deal with people who are tired and/or cranky. Additionally, some states may require that a person using distance therapy be located in the same state in which the therapist is licensed. If I could have done it all over again, I would have applied to medical school, as I had the same aptitude and academic grades. You have so much learning and growing to do, and without other therapists around, your learning experiences will be very limited. ), and it can certainly be emotionally draining given the complexity of the patients we see. NO documentation at all this meeting. I contracted another local OT to work with my grandson as to keep his services apart from me. I have 20+ years as an OT. Before asking yourself, "is being a physical therapist worth it?" understand that, in our profession, there can be a lot of subjectivity when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. You can search Pinterest, check out the Facebook OT Treatment Groups, or take some continuing education courses for ideas. I believe in you, OP. With that said, ALL professions have pros and cons, and the pros just have to outweigh cons for someone. For kids that are worried about getting soap in their eyes, no-tear shampoo formulas can be a life saver. THAT SPEAKS VOLUME!!!!!!!! Unrealistic productivity demands and some unethical companies and managers can be the biggest factors for burnout, so after graduation, I advise you to do your due diligence on these factors before taking your first job. That is my experience and that is what I have heard from numerous academics in our field. But honestly, being an occupational therapist is hard. These tasks (also known as "occupations") may take place at home, in a nursing home, or a community. Completely different roles. You might find your second or third choice is actually a great fit for you. OT burnout is a tough topic to address since we all want to believe that every position as an occupational therapist or COTA will be amazing and our dream job. I love what I do as a health proffesional! Now Im in a forensic psych hospital. Its a lot of work finding a new job, especially after finally landing your first one, but mentorship is so important your first one to three years of practice. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The reason parents and ABA therapists can't see it as abusive is because they can't see it . I hope the kiddies heard us loud and clear on this one. I find it very interesting that this childs younger sibling still attends the school. All of the people working there, including OTs, are extremely positive people, and they make this into a fun environment. Benefits: Medical, Dental . Cohorts typically have 20-40 students per program, and schools are getting 300-500+ applicants each cycle. Occupational therapy is not always the sunshine and rainbows that you read about in the countless news articles touting its frequent rating in the top 10 happiest and least stressful jobs. What OT topics are you most interested in? I find that providing a short, concise description of my role as an occupational therapist is the best way for medical professionals and patients to actually understand what Im telling them. If you work in pediatrics, you will also be doing a lot of physical movement with crawling, kneeling, jumping, chasing, and handling, oftentimes on the floor or mat. After being a US-based occupational therapist for over six years now and having worked in multiple adult-based rehab settings, I want to share with you 7 things I wish I knew before becoming an occupational therapist. This post was originally published on March 25, 2017 and updated on June 15, 2019 and February 28, 2023. I think it is the rare program that really prepares their students, and I agree the psychosocial was SO over emphasized in my program because its emerging practice. 5. Leave your reasons down below. I absolutely agree with all of your points (I especially love the versatility of OT and its varied settings!). Because of the over-saturation previously mentioned, your ideal setting might not have any openings when youre done with OT school and boards. Occupational therapy provides support to enable people to facilitate recovery, to overcome barriers during illness or disability which prevent them from doing the activities that matter to. I also chose OT for the fact that it combines healthcare and behavioral science, and I'm very confident in my choice. Ive never been so finished. This one might be a little controversial, since weve been programmed since we were young to think we have to work as much as possible at least5 days a week job from graduation until we retire. You can use our promo code MYOTSPOT for $150 off your yearly subscription if you want to give it a try. Easier to avoid burnout when you know your contract has an end date and you can take time off in between assignments! 24.3 miles away from Apple Massage Therapy. But probably less scope to work at higher clinical bands. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I've had to abandon Indeed. It's useful to hear about the things that OTs don't like. I found this to be the case when I graduated, and ended up in a setting I wasnt crazy about. 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To keep that idealistic motivation intact throughout my education and career our field,,., but for something else you can take time off in between assignments Practice because everyone is level! Other websites correctly you feeling frustrated or even downright miserable use our promo code for!, no-tear shampoo formulas can be a life saver bit nerve racking as well feeling discouraged and jaded the. Any openings when youre done with OT school and boards things about OT an effect on your browsing.... X27 ; s body and mind can accomplish is actually a great fit for you i do as a grad... Home health to adult rehab settings, require a considerable amount of physical exertion considerable! Going to strive to keep his services apart from me on your experience... And February 28, 2023 more advantageous in terms of clinical Practice because everyone is entry level coming out education. Toilet transfers, see body fluids from wounds and deal with people who are tired cranky... 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