Rehab nursing vs. Occupational Therapy

jessiern, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2008

Occupational therapy is more focused on helping the patient learn to care for their self. Dressing self, learning to use assistive devices, feeding self, bath ect. They may teach a pt things like putting on shoes with a long shoehorn (guess that's what it is called).

Rehab is more focused on helping the patient regaining strenghth, learning to walk again, gait training.

That's just may basic understanding, sure someone else might have more to say about it.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2008

I'm a CRRN and worked in physical rehab for many years. My best friend is an OTR in rehab.

We used to joke that the RN role in rehab was "bowel and bladder, bladder and bowel". So often that seemed our primary responsibility. Rehab nursing is also 24/7 while the OTR role is far more limited to routine office hours. The OTRs get tons of education in appropriate postural supports, adaptive equipment and ADL issues. They also do things like driving assessments after head injuries and strokes.

Trust me, when the patient has a bowel and bladder problem, you'll know who the nurse is...it's the one person who doesn't run away!

Rehab nursing means a lot of documenting progress, again 24/7, night time capacities as well as ADLs that occur outside of routine office hours.

hisblueskies · Mar 12, 2008

Did rehab nursing for 11 months and it is alot of bowel and bladder. It's very hands on nursing - lots of pain meds, working with dementia folks - more than your fair share of supposatories, tons of documentation, lifting some heavy equipment and placing on pt's bed, then doing adjustments - hard work but I found it far less stressful than working on a med-surg floor. Occupation therapists would visit with the patient for maybe an hour - have then do various tasks and then it was over.

zenman · Mar 13, 2008

Bottom line....An OTR is less likely to hurt their backs than a rehab nurse is.