Kelly
Is the job of an occupational therapist gruesome?
I am asking this question because I am looking into occupational therapy and sometimes it is hard for me to stomach/be around some injuries or illnesses. Does this career mainly deal with patients that have mostly recovered? #health #occupational-therapy
2 answers
Camellia Moore
Camellia’s Answer
Kelly,
I speak more from the personal experience due to spending time in hospitals when relatives were sick or in hospice. I also have been looking into the field for myself, but have not yet taken the next step of gaining shadowing experience in clinic.
Major injuries, amputees, cognitive, behavioral, and physical limitations are all involved here. Some injuries or amputations are the result of a traumatic accident and others are the result of a sickness--for example: diabetes may result in the amputation of a toe or limb.
Another thought would be the difference in being employed in a private practice vs. a hospital setting. Patients coming into a private practice or being seen in their own home are more likely to be further along in their healing than a patient that is admitted into the hospital following a major illness or injury until they can be released.
I recommend finding local OT practices to shadow in order to gain a glimpse into what you might see. You might even be surprised at how much you can tolerate! If you don't think OT is the career for you, then perhaps another one of the Therapy fields would be right up your alley!
