OT vs RN

[jellybean321]

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to get some opinions/advice on majoring in either OT (COTA) or RN in the community college I'm attending. I currently work as a rehab tech in LTC, but am just looking for some other peoples thoughts on this subject :)

What I like about OT is being able to help pt's regain strength after strokes and regain ability to use their arms, hands, etc. I also like that I wouldn't have to have a crazy schedule, as I would with nursing. I'm not crazy about working weekends and holidays. However, I feel with OT, that my opportunites would be more limited than nursing. I'm also afraid with medicare/medicaid going the way it is, that they may decide down the road to cut therapy services and I would be jobless. I also am not too fond of having to be pushy with pt's that don't want to participate in therapy. If theres an 86 year old man with parkinsons, I am not going to want to push him to do therapy if he doesn't want to.

What I like about nursing is that I would have no limit with job opportunities. I also feel like I wouldn't have to be pushy like I would have to be being a therapist. I'm interested in the medically involved aspect of healthcare. While someone is in the hospital, nursing home, etc, I find it hard to make pt's do things independently, where I would rather do things for them (which is why I think nursing would be a possible option for me). I don't like the fact that I would have to work nights, weekends, holidays, etc and miss those important holidays with my family (when I do have one someday). While its not a significant difference, nurses also get paid more and have the option to work overtime if they want to. I get kind of scared about considering nursing when I see/hear about nurses getting stressed out, and am scared of getting burned out quickly.

I've been trying to decide on a major for a while now and am honestly getting sick of it because I can't make up my mind! Just looking for someone to shed some light for me and give me stories/experiences they have been through.

PS- I took a career assessment at my college and scored high on medical diagnosis and treatment, which included occupational therapy but not nursing......not even sure how I'm supposed to take that!

Thanks! :)

[jld9]

Hi, I realize that this was posted a long time ago but I too struggle with the exact same situation. I was just wondering if you made a decision and what were your deciding factors. I hope things worked out for you!

[chicagonurse2b]

hi, i realize that this was posted a long time ago but i too struggle with the exact same situation. i was just wondering if you made a decision and what were your deciding factors. i hope things worked out for you!

jld9,

i was at a similar crossroads regarding ot and rn...i just couldn't make up my mind, as they are both excellent professions. what helped me decide was shadowing an ot. for me, rns have a lot more flexibility with their licenses with regard to working independently in a variety of settings. this is something i plan to do down the line and it's one of the main reasons i chose rn over ot. also, i felt rns play more of a clinical role in a patient's treatment. this is something i am also looking forward to learning. ots are a part of the treatment team, but more from the perspective of rehab (working with pts), and assessing current abilities (e.g. how soon can a patient go home or return to work? will they need assistive devices to maintain/improve current function?). though, ots clincal role may increase in the future with the doctorate requirement stepping to the forefront.

anyway, ot is a great field. you will probably make the best choice by shadowing at an outpatient rehab clinic, or at a hospital (as a volunteer). i didn't find it too difficult to get hooked up with the experience. every (yes, every;)) ot i met was incredibly nice and welcoming. occupational therapy (from my experience) is a relatively stress free job that pays well. plus if you choose ot, that shadowing time would probably help out your grad school applications.

good luck!

[jld9]

Chicagonurse2b, Thank you for your response. I was accepted into ota school but for some reason, becoming a nurse is always in the back of my mind. However, the stress and the responsibility levels of being a nurse concerns me. I am a massage therapist so I think OT would be interesting because I enjoy being part of a rehabilitation team. I have job shadowed an ota but never a nurse...this is going to be my next step. Thanks for the advise!

[chicagonurse2b]

You're welcome. OTA school, that is great! I agree. The idea of stress and nursing, also the amount of responsibility can be somewhat daunting. I think about this at times as well. But what places me at ease is my plan to work in the community. I prefer this to a hospital setting. I hope to gain as much experience as possible in the hospital, but then I will take that knowledge to the streets...lol

Don't second guess yourself. You are on the right path for you! If you're curious shadow. Otherwise, enjoy the ride.:)

[jellybean321]

sorry it took me so long to get back to you, i did not realize anyone had replied to this thread!

To answer your question, I chose the Rn route. I work in Therapy day in and day out, and I just realized that it isnt for me. Its definitely an interesting career (OT), but Nursing is more my cup of tea. I would feel closer to the patients as a Nurse than an OT. Also, I love the things that you learn in the nursing field, compared to OT. For me, I need a career that makes me feel like I'm actually helping someone. I'm not saying that OT's don't help their patients, but I'm a little biased because I work in LTC, and most of our patients are 89 years old and don't make much progress, and all I can think to myself is "why put these poor people through all of this?" It's obviously not like this in different settings, I'm sure. Pediatrics seems to be a very fun atmosphere for OT. If I did choose OT, I would go that route. There aren't as many opportunities in OT as Nursing, which is another reason I chose to go for my RN degree. If I'm not happy in LTC or Peds, I could do med-surg, work at an Insurance company, home health, schools..opportunities are endless. OT you can do other things as well but they are few and far between. If you like the job of an OT or COTA and you're happy doing that, thats fine..but I like the variety of nursing. For my personality type, its better for me.

Congrats for your acceptance into the program! It really is an interesting career. Good luck in your future whatever you decide on! It certainly is not an easy decision! Trust me, it's taken me a very long time to decide what is best for me. It isn't something you can decide on overnight. Good luck to you!! :)