Occupational therapy vs nursing

[OnlyByHisGrace]

Hi everyone,

Okey i am going to post this here because i figured i could get more responses from you guys. one of my friends is being convinced to change from getting into nursing to pursuing OT instead. she figures she will still be working with patients albeit at a different level. a school in our area is expanding their OT program and are currently recruiting for fall 09. it is going to be a 28 month stint-6 months of which are field experience- she is comparing the hours-8 to 5 versus the differing nursing schedules.

So what do you guys think. Do OTs make more than nurses as she is being told? is the program more difficult-she was told her pre-nursing classes will transfer in and she will graduate with an MS specializing in OT. Any input will be appreciated.:typing

[Nhenry2B]

I debated between the two and decided on occupational therapy. The great thing about OT is all the different populations and environments you can choose to work with: geriatrics, pediatrics, acute care, inpatient rehabiliatation, in schools, private clinics, return-to-work facilities, outpatient clinics, etc. I'm still in school but I’ve been blown away by the variety of paths I can choose to go down as an OT. In school, we do three part-time placements during undergrad where we are actually in the field observing and after grad school, we do two full time, twelve week internships to give us exposure to working environments in which we may be interested. We get to weed out what areas may not be right for us before we graduate. Ultimately, I believe that the skilled intervention services OTs provide to their patients are invaluable in assisting them return to their everyday activities and increase their well being. While both careers are worthy of the highest respect, I look at it this way- while nurses do for the patient an OT teaches them to do for themselves and that isthe difference between one requiring a min. of an associates degree for entry and the other a Master's Degree. I also know that when I looked into nursing, there were seven hundred people applying for very limited available spots in the program and another program had a three year waiting list. I will be graduating with my masters in OT before I would have even been able to get into nursing school.

michiganot

Where do you attend school?

[hartmann1108]

A different perspective: My mum, an OT for over 30 years, is adamant that I not become an OT. In her view, the profession is gradually being replaced by lower-paid, less-skilled workers as governments are deciding this is an area they can cut. Can other OTs comment on this? Is this an issue for nurses as well? She wants me to be a doctor, but I don't want the long working hours or long years in school. I'm 30.

In the limited experience I've had watching my mum work, my impression is that OT work is very boring. This may appeal to some, but nursing seems to offer more variety in the pace of work (geriatrics vs ER, for example).

I'm in the midst of a career change and strongly considering nursing. I finishing graduate school in a biological sciences and am sick of working ~60 hours/week and not having any energy left over for a social/intellectual/family life. Research is very competitive and often its better to be lucky than good (hope this doesn't make me sound like a whiner). I find it very appealing that nurses can get by working 3-4 days/week. Big money is not that important to me. Job security seems good. In contrast, the job market for bio PhDs is pretty terrible right now and doesn't look to be getting better as many more people enter grad school than there are jobs available.

I don't regret going to grad school because I had no idea what I wanted to do before I started and now I think I do. I want a job where I can have a life outside of work. I want a job that is recession proof (I think the economy is going to be crap for quite awhile). I want a job that is emotionally rewarding and involves intimacy with other people. My father passed away a few years ago from cancer and while receiving the diagnosis was devastating, I learned to cope with it and developed with him a stronger relationship than ever. I'm thinking LTC/geriatric/hospice nursing would be perfect for me. Please tell me if I'm a "grass is greener" case.

Cheers!