Is a Rehab Nurse similar to an Occupational Therapist?

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Hi there!

I was curious if a Rehabilitation Nurse plays similar roles as an Occupational Therapist?

Are they comparable? What exactly does a Rehab Nurse do? If possible, can someone describe a typical day of a Rehab Nurse?

Also, I am looking for some advice: I am a student interested in both Nursing and Occupational Therapy as a profession.

Option 1: I got accepted into a Nursing Program at my university, and it would take 3 years to complete based on the credits I have now.

Option 2: The other option is, to major in Psychology- I'm about a 1.5 years away from completing a Psychology degree, and from there apply to OT school.

I feel like my personality and interests lean more towards OT- it seems more holistic and more quality time with fewer patients which I appreciate. But to be quite honest, I am turned off by the huge financial investment OT school would be (as opposed to Nursing) and I feel Nursing may provide more opportunities for growth, and variety. Anyone have suggestions?

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Specializes in Ortho.

Extremely different. Go the OT route: no night shifts and it's a physically easy job.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

There are no similarities between OTs and rehab nurses. I'm a certified rehabilitation registered nurse (CRRN) who worked with OTs. They have more autonomy and consultative authority than rehab nurses. They devise the OT rehabilitative treatment plan and the certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) help carry it out.

They are also educated at the master's degree level, whereas nursing can be entered with an associate degree or diploma. This educational disparity keeps OTs' salaries high because it acts as a barrier to entering the profession.

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Can you tell describe your responsibilities as a rehabilitation nurse or describe a typical day?

THank you!!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Can you tell describe your responsibilities as a rehabilitation nurse or describe a typical day?
Typical 12-hour night shift:

6:00pm to 6:30pm - count narcotics with the offgoing nurse and receive report at shift change

6:30pm to 7:00pm - pull medications from the Pyxis machine for the 7 to 9 patients that have been assigned to me that night

7:00pm to 8:00pm - perform vital sign checks; fetch snacks, sodas and coffee for patients; toilet patients as needed

8:00pm to 10:00pm - pass medications, conduct head-to-toe assessments, perform finger stick blood glucose checks, wound care

10:00pm to 10:30pm - administer sliding scale insulin injections along with bedtime snacks

10:30pm to 1:00am - chart on the 7 to 9 patients

1:00am to 1:30am - lunch break

1:30am to 4:00am - update the care plans, perform Morse fall risk assessments

4:00am to 6:00am - pass early morning medications (Synthroid, Omeprazole, IV antibiotics, etc)

6:00am to 6:30am - count narcotics with the oncoming nurse and deliver report at shift change

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Extremely different. Go the OT route: no night shifts and it's a physically easy job.

How do you figure being an OT is a "physically easy job"? Sure, there are patients who are less impaired than others, but you'll still encounter patients who require total assist for bathing, dressing, toilet transfers, etc.

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Specializes in Rehabilitation, neurosurgery.

Rehab nursing can be a very physically demanding field. Along with the normal "med passes" and wound care, we are doing patient transfers, toileting, assessment, and lots of education. This is a unique patient population, and I love this field. It can be very demanding however. OTs are also amazing, and can really help patients learn many skills to be autonomous

. We work together, but have very different jobs.

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