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Studying to be an occupational therapist certainly isn’t easy, but it will give you the necessary skills and experience to support others and help them live comfortable, independent lives. Once you’re qualified as an occupational therapist, there’s plenty of potential opportunities for your next steps.
It’s good to hear what we have to say about being an occupational therapist, but what about those who are currently experiencing the world of occupational therapy? Let’s see what they have to say, to give you a unique perspective into what the profession is really like!
“We have a relationship with our patients and clients that not many professions do!”
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“We get to see people coming in at their very worst, being part of their recovery journey, and it’s so rewarding to see them improve”
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“This is a career with a lot of opportunity - not just to achieve things yourself, but to help a lot of other people achieve things for them”
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When you’re a qualified occupational therapist, you’re equipped with an amazing range of skills that will help you in your daily role. Through your career, you’ll receive further training and gain experience, meaning you’ll become even better at understanding how to help others.
In a career full of continual improvement, there will always be opportunities to keep getting better. But, it’s important to consider all aspects of the role if you want to truly excel. Occupational therapists are highly skilled at caring for others and understanding how they can help them in their lives, and only part of this comes from qualifications.
In fact, there’s a significant range of different skills that occupational therapists use to provide high quality care, that are more focused on ‘soft skills’. These aren’t necessarily taught in an academic setting - instead, they form part of the interpersonal skills that make occupational therapists so good at what they do.
Occupational therapists can experience some emotional moments, and it’s important that even in these difficult situations, to be able to remain composed and resilient, in order to be helpful. It’s important to celebrate the successes of patients, but remember to be resilient when things don’t go so well. By remaining composed, you’re more able to help others who are struggling in the same situation.
Occupational therapists interact with a range of people. They’ll interact with the entire healthcare team that may be working together to assist a patient, and of course they’ll interact with patients, families, and carers. Communication skills are crucial, as is the ability to effectively share information, and changing how this information is communicated to different people who might have a different understanding of a situation.
This skill - being able to regulate and control your actions, feelings, and thoughts to remain professional - is an important part of demonstrating your reliability and effectiveness as an occupational therapist. You’re able to put your own thoughts and opinions to one side when necessary, and do what’s right for the patient.
Occupational therapists don’t work alone, and there will be a team that will often deliver care. It’s important to be able to rely on each other, and ensure that teamwork allows high-quality care to be delivered. By improving your ability to work in a team, you’ll be positively impacting patients.
Although this is a crucial part of communication, it’s important enough to warrant it’s own mention! Listening is integral to being a good healthcare professional- it’s important to let patients know that you’re here for them, and want to know what they have to say. Sometimes, patients may have an insight into their ability to do particular activities more than you can tell, and it’s important to work with them to not surpass what they’re able to do.
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present rather than thinking about the past or future. It’s easy to get caught up in our own thoughts, but it’s worth keeping an eye on what’s happening in front of us, especially when you’re an occupational therapist.