Nursing or Occupational Therapy?

dishes, BSN, RN · Dec 10, 2011

This question has been asked before so I've copied my answer from a previous thread.

In addition to a different skill set, nurses have a diffrent work schedule and patient assignment than occupational therapists. OTs generally work Monday to Friday 9:00 to 5:00, whereas nurses work shift work, some people prefer shift work but others prefer to be with their family and friends during evenings, weekends and holidays. OTs schedule therapy times with their patients and provide one on one therapy for an hour or more, with each patient. Nurses look after a group of patients and provide one on one care for brief periods of time. Nurses juggle their work day based on the priority of patients' need. A patient's nursing need, can fluctuate throughout the day and as a result a nurse's work day can be chaotic and reactive, whereas a patient's OT need tends to be stable, and as a result an OTs work day can be smooth and proactive.

DixieRedHead, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2011

My advice: Speech Therapy. More money, no heavy lifting, and talk about job security............

Flo., BSN, RN · Dec 10, 2011

My advice: Speech Therapy. More money, no heavy lifting, and talk about job security............

So funny!

SingDanceRunLife · Dec 10, 2011

I definitely don't want to work in a hospital. No matter what I end up doing I don't want to work in a hospital. That's something I've always known. I can't really explain it, but it was definitely solidified by clinicals.

I'm also leaning towards OT but definitely want to get perspectives and opinions here.

SingDanceRunLife · Apr 5, 2012

My advice: Speech Therapy. More money, no heavy lifting, and talk about job security............

Haha. It is more money, with no heavy lifting and good job security, but it's not something I'm even remotely interested in, and that matters.

I've made my decision. Starting in August I'll be going to school for OT. Nursing just isn't for me, at least not right now, and there's so much you can do within OT, there are jobs, the pay is good etc. I'm excited about the decision. I think it's definitely the right one for me.

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2012

After today's shift, I got to ask . . .

What's behind door number 3? :jester:

Good Morning, Gil · Apr 6, 2012

I hear it's pretty hard to get an OT job, not as marketable as nursing. Maybe that's not the case anymore? And, yes, OT is a lower stress job than nursing. It's not even a contest lol. They see patients to help them with their ADL's and assess their level of function, and then they peace out of the room when they're done, moving to the next patient (and leave the patient to the nurse if the patient becomes agitated, anxious, short of breath, etc). I don't mean this in a critical manner; that is their job, but any of the "therapies", whether RT, OT, PT, or ST, will be lower stress for that reason. They're not managing the patients' total care, which I guess, technically, nurses don't either (the MD"s do), but we ensure that the appropriate tx is ordered, and are managing their care for a shift, making sure the patient gets what they need.