Stories you may like
Occupational Therapist
An occupational therapist will help you identify goals and overcome physical, mental and social challenges. They’ll work with you to help you do the activities in your daily routine and give you the resources you need to feel safe and supported.
What is an occupational therapist?
An occupational therapist is a healthcare provider who helps you improve your ability to perform daily tasks. They perform occupational therapy treatment that helps you learn how to move through your environment or use different tools to participate in your activities safely.
Your occupational therapist’s role is to work alongside your primary care provider (PCP) and other specialists. They’ll be a part of your overall care team.
You’ll probably meet with an occupational therapist at their office or in a hospital. But you can work with an occupational therapist in any location you’ll perform daily activities, including:
- Your home.
- Your workplace.
- Where you study or go to school.
- Grocery stores, places of worship and other public locations.
Is an occupational therapist a doctor?
Occupational therapists aren’t medical doctors (MD) or doctors of osteopathy (DO). They can’t diagnose health conditions, prescribe medication or perform surgeries.
What does an occupational therapist do?
An occupational therapist will work with you to identify challenges, develop goals and come up with ways to help you meet those objectives. Everyone’s goals are different, but some examples of what an occupational therapist can help you do include:
- Getting dressed.
- Taking your medication.
- Shopping for groceries.
- Driving or using public transportation.
- Using a computer or other technology.
Occupational Therapist Job Description
We are seeking a licensed occupational therapist to join our growing team of medical professionals. You will be working with patients who are recovering from injuries and disabilities and help them regain their abilities so that they can resume work. Duties will include conducting a physical assessment of clients, developing treatment plans, assessing work and home environments of clients, and developing physical rehabilitation programs.
A bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and a state license is required to be considered as a candidate. To be a successful hire, you will need to have up-to-date knowledge of treatment practices and physical therapy programs.
Occupational Therapist Responsibilities:
- Conducting physical and psychological assessments of clients and developing or following a treatment plan.
- Assessing home and work environments of clients and deciding what adjustments are needed.
- Advising on adaptive equipment to help clients with daily activities.
- Developing physical rehabilitation programs to help clients regain lost skills.
- Preparing clients for a return to work.
- Educating caregivers and family members of clients on patient care.
- Evaluating results and progress of occupational therapy on clients.
- Maintaining professional knowledge and the technical progress in order to provide clients with the best treatment program available.
- Complying with federal, state, and local certification requirements.
- Evaluating patient condition regarding physical and basic mental health.
Occupational Therapist Requirements:
- A bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from a university certified by the ACOTE (Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education) or AOTA (American -Occupational Therapy Association).
- Certified by the National Board for Certification.
- Compliant with state healthcare regulatory requirements.
- Possess up-to-date knowledge of treatment practices and physical therapy programs.
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to take care of clients with different personalities.
- Comfortable using a computer for various tasks.
- Ability to assess patient conditions and work with treatment plans.
Occupational Therapist job summary
A good job description starts with an attention-grabbing summary of the position and its role within your company. Your summary should provide an overview of your company and expectations for the position. Outline the types of activities and responsibilities required for the job so job seekers can determine if they are qualified, or if the job is suitable for them.
Example of an Occupational Therapist job summary
Our physical therapy clinic has decided to add an Occupational Therapist (OT) to our staff. We’re interesting in serving a greater subsection of the senior community, so we need an experienced OT to help those patients improve their quality of life. We focus on providing compassionate, holistic care to our patients. Our clinic team works with their doctors and families to establish creative but conservative plans of care that reduce the potential for injury and allow patients to set their own paces. We’re looking for an OT candidate with similar styles and ideals in his or her own practice.
Occupational Therapist responsibilities and duties
The responsibilities and duties section is the most important part of the job description. Here you should outline the functions this position will perform on a regular basis, how the job functions within the organization and the title of the manager the person will report to.
- Conduct patient assessments and evaluations to determine their physical condition, limitations, medical histories and personal goals
- Communicate with physicians and other health care providers to confirm plans of care
- Advise family members and other supportive individuals about the level of care the patient needs
- Provide occupational therapy guidance, support and education during patient sessions
- Teach patients how to interact with adaptive technology
- Show patients how to use assistive devices
- Assist patients with purchasing products to help them achieve their goals
- Guide patients through graded activities
- Generate reports for patients and their physicians and families
- Visit patients’ homes to help install or use assistive devices
Occupational Therapist qualifications and skills
Next, outline the required and preferred skills for your position. This may include education, previous job experience, certifications and technical skills. You may also include soft skills and personality traits that you expect from a successful candidate. While it may be tempting to include a long list of skills and requirements, including too many could dissuade qualified candidates from applying. Keep your list of qualifications concise, but provide enough detail with relevant keywords and terms.
User's Comments
No comments there.