Disillusioned OT thinking of career change to RN, any advice welcomed

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hi there...

first off--great forum and i am looking forward to hear any advice.

i have been an occupational therapist for a few years and over the last while have been experiencing increasing job dissatisfaction and often think i would find a career as an rn much more fulfilling. i don't have a concrete answer for why except that rns seem to have so much more opportunities for movement and growth and i think i am much more suited for the fast paced environments (such as emerg/ccu) instead of the field of rehabilitation. there are many other reasons why i am dissatisfied with being an ot that i won't bore you all with and i have made up my mind that i will be changing careers, just haven't decided if rn is the right path or if it is one of those "grass is always greener" kind of situations. the pay is the same but in terms of long term career opportunities, rns have so many options!

anyone else out there with a similar story? interested in hearing any insights.

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Hi!! I'm very glad I came upon your post. Unfortunately I cannot help you or have any advice for you since I'm not a nurse. Yet that is. I'm planning on going to school next year however. The problem I'm having is I have no idea whether I should go for a career as an OT or as a nurse. Can I ask you ... does being an OT get boring after awhile? I too am afraid that it wouldn't give me the challenge that I need whereas nursing would. Is that basically why you're dissatisfied with being an OT? A lack of challenge?

Any comments would be soooo appreciated!! Like I said I've been racking my brain trying to figure out which career to go for! Thanks for any of your advice! :)

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I would stay an OT. Their hours are better than nursing.

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Yes, OTs do have regular hours, but that should not be the deciding factor in choosing a career. In fact, I personally, would prefer the flexibility of shift work and the overtime option which never happens in OT.

OT is not boring, it has its challenges, and for the right person it can be a lifelong and challenging career. The thing with OT is--most of the time you don't know if your interventions are really working as it is a profession that is lacking in the evidence base area. You have to be patient and interested in seeing slow, but important, changes in your clients such as a stroke patient learning how to sit at the edge of the bed unassisted, or a mental health client being able to budget and take a shower in the morning. There are many areas that OTs work in (hospitals/schools/vocational/home care/private practice) but no where near the amount of options nurses have. The other "thing" with OT is that just drives me crazy, is that it is a small profession and most be able don't know what it is, so you need to get used to explaining OT all the time.

I like fast paced environments and can see myself working in the ER or OR where you can make an impact and at the end of the day can confidently say, I made a difference. Sometimes with OT, I don't know if I can say that.

I hope I answered your question, feel free to ask my anything else.

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Thanks for your responses and insight! Best of luck to you DaniOT! I hope you find what you are looking for. :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Psych..

I like my profession, I like the idea of helping ill people, but nursing is often time physically demanding and its not as glamarous as we see in TV show ER or Scrubs!! It can be frustrating at times because you are not able provide better care to your patients just because you dont have enough help and management do not care.....to be honest with you...I told my 13 year old daughter that I prefer her not to get in to in any medical field.....I am sorry to say it but often time I get soooo tired of all the nonsense at work I just dont want her to go through the same difficulties that I go through every day.

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