Occupational Therapist

Roles and responsibilities

Occupational Therapy (OT) focuses on helping individuals develop, recover, or maintain skills necessary for daily living and working. Occupational Therapists (OTs) work with people of all ages who face physical, cognitive, sensory, or emotional challenges to improve their independence and quality of life.

Key Skills for an Occupational Therapist

1. Therapeutic Expertise

   • Knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, and the impact of various conditions on daily life.
   • Proficiency in creating and implementing personalized therapy plans.

2. Assessment and Problem-Solving

   • Evaluating a patient’s abilities and limitations in performing daily tasks.
   • Developing creative solutions to overcome challenges.

3. Communication Skills

   • Explaining therapy goals and exercises to patients and their families.
   • Collaborating with healthcare teams, educators, and caregivers.

4. Empathy and Patience

   • Understanding patients’ emotional struggles and providing support.
   • Encouraging progress in a motivating and compassionate manner.

5. Adaptability

   • Adjusting therapy plans based on individual progress and needs.
   • Working with diverse populations and varying conditions.

6. Manual Dexterity

   • Assisting with hands-on therapy for physical rehabilitation.
   • Training patients in using adaptive equipment and assistive devices.

7. Time Management

   • Organizing sessions effectively, especially in busy clinical settings.
   • Balancing multiple patients and administrative duties.

8. Attention to Detail

   • Recording accurate patient progress and therapy outcomes.
   • Ensuring safety and effectiveness of exercises and activities.

Responsibilities of an Occupational Therapist

1. Patient Assessment

   • Evaluating physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges that impact daily living.
   • Assessing environments (home, school, workplace) for barriers to independence.

2. Developing Therapy Plans

   • Creating individualized interventions to improve skills like dressing, cooking, or writing.
   • Setting realistic goals for recovery and independence.

3. Therapy Implementation

   • Guiding patients through exercises to enhance motor skills, strength, or coordination.
   • Teaching adaptive techniques for daily tasks.

4. Recommending Equipment

   • Suggesting tools like wheelchairs, grab bars, or specialized utensils.
   • Training patients and caregivers in their proper use.

5. Documentation and Reporting

   • Recording patient progress and updating treatment plans as needed.
   • Communicating outcomes with doctors, family members, and insurers.

6. Support and Education

   • Educating patients and families about managing conditions and improving quality of life.
   • Providing guidance on workplace accommodations and safety measures.

Desired candidate profile

Evaluation/Re-evaluation

An OT administer and evaluates clients through the use of standardized assessments. They gauge functional abilities, including physical, emotional, cognitive, and sensory components to evaluate the necessity of skilled occupational therapy intervention.

Treatment

An OT helps the client achieve goals set forth in the treatment plan by providing neuromuscular reeducation, therapeutic activity, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, self-care/home management training, development of cognitive skills, sensory integration techniques, wheelchair management, and wound care.

Discharge

A therapist ensures safety at discharge and continuation of progress by providing home exercise programs, family/caregiver instruction, recommendations for assistive equipment, and recommendations for continued therapy in a less-restrictive setting.

Contribution to Healthcare Team

A therapist communicates with the larger health team through effective documentation and charting in the patient and department records.

Maintenance of Department Integrity

An occupational therapist complies with federal and state professional requirements.3 They also maintain professional expertise through continued education as necessitated by licensure and as appropriate for the provision of specific treatments.

In some cases, they may further develop the occupational therapy department by annually reviewing best practices.