How to integrate RN role w/ new MS in OT?

[Dharmamom]

I'm an RN with 20 years of work experience in a variety of clinical settings. My educational back ground includes an A.A. Degree in nursing, a BSN and most recently a masters degree in occupational therapy. My intention in pursuing a masters in OT was to augment my nursing skills and experience, not to change careers. OT education includes preparation in Neuro A&P & Neuro rehab (I love these subjects!), as well as in depth study in functional performance, motivation, client education methods and ways to facilitate lifestyle change. Most of my nursing experience was in community health and I was interested in the development & implementation of wellness programs for older adults. Because of this, OT education seemed more relevant to my goals than the nursing MS education programs I researched. I'm also very interested in research & building the evidence base for healthcare clinical practice. The OT school I attended has a faculty member who is interested in mindfulness applications in healthcare. Mindfulness was another interest of mine so the opportunity to do research in this area factored heavily in my decision. I entered the OT program in Fall 2010 and just graduated a couple of weeks ago. My thesis work in the areas of mindfulness & chronic pain cultivated an interest in continued pain research. A faculty member at UCSF is doing very interesting work in pain and symptom cluster research, so I applied to the UCSF doctoral studies program for Fall 2013. Still waiting to hear from them, so I can't tell you how that turned out. I'm currently studying for OT boards and haven't started looking for work. Of course I have some ideas, but I'm interested in hearing what other experienced nurses think about how RN & OT skills, education & experience could be used together in healthcare. So if you have any thoughts or suggestion, please share.