Occupational therapy...good field?? I am considering this or RN

suzanne4, RN · Apr 30, 2005

Go into something that you want to do, not because this job or that will give me more money down the line. If you aren't happy with it, then your aren't going to be happy down the line.....

I suggest that you try shadowing a nurse for a couple of days at different facilities, and the same thing with an occupational therapist. That is the only way that you are going to find out which you prefer...........

Sorry, but no one can make your decision for you.......... :)

germain · May 1, 2005

I've been thinking EXACTLY the same thing- RN or OT? Here's what I think will ultimately make my decision; grad school = 25000$ with very few Ta/ scholarship possibilties. Nursing school= lots of scholarships. They pay almost the same, with the upper limit being higher for nurses. Also, nursing jobs are everywhere, OT is limited, lots of jobs are for home care therapy companies that I've heard are a pain.

Thought of Rehab Nursing?

Good luck.

mysticalwaters1 · May 1, 2005

My hospital only uses physical therapists and it's a shame but when they talk to try to get OT it dies down but I don't know how it is for other facilities. I think my hospital is small community hospital and doesn't have a large range of professionals. I thought of getting maybe into music therapy but it's not offered at my hospital not that other's don't I'd have to find one but good luck!

tencents · Mar 28, 2007

OT school can be expensive...esp. a private master's degree, which is what I've chosen. PT's & OT's are not the same. OT's focus mostly on rehab. in activities of daily living (driving a car, washing hair, dressing self,etc. ). PT's rehabl. just the physical (to put it very simply).

After you finish w/OT school, most people end up specializing in an area (hand therapy, low vision, etc.). This is where the extra schooling helps....b/c extra $ usually comes with it.

For me, I know that most nurses are run thin...which is why the 5 nurses in my family i've suggested OT rather than RN. It's true that in some areas of the country OT jobs are not plentiful. But personally, I'd rather have a career where I know I won't be overworked and underpaid (which has to change for nurses!).

lllliv · Mar 28, 2007

occupational therapists are in demand at my hospital. they make more, have weekends and holidays off(sometimes work half a day), and never have to break a sweat. i know some places are different but this is where i worked for more than 15 years.

they can spend one on one time with the patients (not being rushed) so they never have any complaints against them. and anything they don't want to do---nursing will be told to do it because ot is for training purposes only.

for one example--they don't want to give showers--nursing must do it. ot will give the patient a "DRY" shower in their department for training.

they come to the unit to get a patient--they want nursing to have them dressed and in the chair--ready to be wheeled to their dept. if the patient is not ready--they complain. they even go around in the morning looking in the rooms saying hello to the patients and telling them to make sure their nurse gets them up for breakfast(coffee in hand).so if you have six patients with no cna--you have like two hours to get them dressed, up in the chair, give meds, do assessments, txs, adls, some showers, etc...it's impossible to give decent patient care.

anyway--i got off on a rant--but you get the picture.

i'd go for ot or better yet pt or speech therapy.