Achieving a work-life balance is a concept involving choices and priorities related to the professional (career, work, education) versus the personal (family, friends, recreation) aspects of daily life. These choices may be routine and impact only the short-term, or they may be more significant and life-changing. Read more
As social media continues to dominate our daily lives, it’s more important than ever to consider your online presence when searching for and earning a job. According to Jobvite, a top online recruiting platform, up to 92% of Recruiters and Hiring Managers are using social media during the hiring process. And companies are not just using LinkedIn; up to 55% of Recruiters say they also use Facebook or other social sources to evaluate candidates. With that in mind, here are some tips and ideas for making sure your social profiles help rather than hinder your job search. Read more
Thinking of Working in Post Acute Rehabilitation? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
If you’re geared towards the post acute care field of work, then you have a world of opportunities available at your fingertips. It’s a bright and promising career that has been proven to have stronger growth and faster hire rates than many other fields of industry. An overwhelming majority of the graduates in this field report that they obtain their first preferred choice of job within 3 months of their graduation. In this current economy, those numbers are almost unheard of.
Post acute rehabilitation is all about becoming redundant, as odd as that may sound. The job of a post acute care worker is to be no longer needed as you move the patient from a severe injury, illness, or surgery to being back on their feet at home. This job could take a few days or several months, depending on the level of care needed. If you’re considering a position in this field, here are the relevant facts you need to know about this noble and worthwhile profession.
Post Acute Care Covers all Major Therapy
In the role of transitional care, your job is to move someone to being fully functional after a serious life event hampers their ability to do so. It’s not about just regaining motor skills. A fully licensed and certified post acute rehab worker concentrates on the patient’s entire wellness from mind, body, and soul. This covers all three of the major fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
Physical Therapy – You might perceive all post acute care workers as specializing in this field because a lot of the work done revolves around getting the patient back up to full mobility. Physical therapy is all about getting the patient back to an independent state after their illness or injury has compromised their movements. The care worker focuses on providing their patient with the exercises and treatments that they need to get back to normal movement. They work to help regain the patient’s strength, flexibility, balance, and most of all, confidence.
Occupational Therapy – After working through an injury or surgery, some occupational therapy might be needed to get the patient back to performing their normal daily duties with independence. The care worker would provide this therapy so that the patient can dress themselves, bathe, prepare meals, and perform light house duties. This goes beyond physical therapy where mobility is the key. Occupational therapy works on the finely-tuned motor movements to perform specialized tasks. In some fooball match predictions cases, an injury leaves a patient without the ability to do a task, so a post acute care worker teaches compensation techniques and ways to alter the environment around them.
Speech Therapy – Post acute care occasionally gets into speech therapy. Stroke victims are often in need of speech therapy after a severe stroke limits their communication. Many disorders can lead to a loss of speech and a post acute care worker must evaluate and treat the conditions that each disorder displays.
Post Acute Care Can Be in Any Location
Rehabilitation serves the patient, not the provider. This is the reason that many post acute care workers are providing their services in a variety of locations. This could be in the hospital after a serious injury or surgery, in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), a long term acute care center (LTAC), or even in the home.
Hospital – For patients that need care straight after a debilitating illness, a hospital care worker is convenient and immediate. Care can begin right after the treatment is concluded. It’s worth noting that although care begins in the hospital, rarely does the full treatment of post acute care be given there.
Skilled Nursing Facility – A typical SNF is attached to a hospital to continue the treatment on a longer-term basis. The care providers in a skilled nursing facility treat a variety of hospital-related medical conditions. They provide a round-the-clock care that meets all needs, not just post acute rehab.
Long-term Acute Care – A LTAC is a center for those required a post acute care that extends for at least 30 days. If the treatment needed will be ongoing and intense, it’s a good place to consider as they focus on only post acute care for long term patients. There is no accommodation for short-term patients however.
Home – For many Post acute rehabilitation workers, this is the ideal venue. In a field that focuses on the patient’s entire wellness, the home is the safest and most reliable place to achieve long-term success. It keeps the patient comfortable and improves their response to treatment and rehabilitation. It also allows the care giver to deal with the patient in the environment they need to adapt to. If there are stairs in the home, the care provider provides physical therapy to use the stairs. If they have high cupboards, the therapy is about reaching up to the cupboards. Working within in the home provides the patient with the incentive to get better sooner.
For the potential post acute care worker, this field has a verity of choices and environments. If you seek to offer a particular type of therapy such as occupational therapy, your choice of post acute care can be as an independent worker in a home or as a staff member in a long-term acute center. If you want to work with a team of therapists all focuses on providing wellness in a skilled nursing facility, you can choose a field of speech therapy or physical therapy. Working in post acute care, your job is to be more than just a nurse or a therapist, but a mentor for the depressed, a coach for the uninspired, and a friend for the lonely.
If you’re considering a role in this field, contact the team at HTS Therapy, the specialists in contract therapy across all fields. They can help advise you in the role you seek to find.
The occupational therapy job market always seems like a minefield filled with advice, either good or bad. It can seem difficult to manage and leverage offers against one another. Whether you’re seeking a different place of employment, or trying to secure a new job and a fresh start, be assured that therapy jobs are still among the highest professions in stability, salary, and sustainability. Occupational therapy jobs are more recession-proof than other jobs, which is an asset to qualified job seekers. Even with the career-seeking head start, this guide will help you secure better jobs, negotiate longer contracts, secure employment, and find multiple opportunities in this lucrative field.
Join an Association
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is an absolute must to gain access to some of the features of being part of a community of occupational therapists.
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This association is the comprehensive source for all things related to this industry. Being a part of an association has its benefits, but it’s not just about scouring the job markets. The AOTA publishes industry-specific statistics and articles, offers specific advice about licensing and education resources as well as numerous other resources. They post available jobs on their nation-wide job forum OTJobLink, which has hundreds of listings across the country.
Consider using an association in different ways to gain the upper hand on new occupational therapy jobs. Associations have listings for conferences and events related to the occupational therapy field. Getting to these events is a must for networking amongst your peers. It’s also a boon for learning about new job opportunities that aren’t listed on other online job boards.
Continue Your Education
You might think your education is done, but there are many specialized areas that you can focus on. Continuing your education allows you to develop new skills and gain new certifications that you can add to your résumé. This looks good to employers that are looking for someone who can cover multiple duties and handle a variety of tasks. If you have one more qualification than your competitor, that’s often enough to get the upper hand for a new position.
It’s not just about gaining new skills, as valuable as that might be. Your clinical instructor is one of your best resources for new positions and opportunities. Because they work with healthcare administrators, they have first-hand knowledge about new occupational therapy jobs. Unlike high school, it actually pays to become friends with your teacher on this occasion.
Update Your Résumé for the Ideal Occupational Therapy Job
You may have heard that it’s important to keep your records up to date, but you may not have done it in a while, so it’s worth repeating. You could have gained new skills or certifications that aren’t listed on your résumé. You need to fully represent your best skills to the employers. These days, sending out résumés isn’t enough. Consider what type of job you’re after. Do you want to work in a hospital? Update your résumé to reflect your ability to be resourceful and adaptable as they are skills that come in handy for hospitals. Do you want to eventually run your own private practice? Use words like “long-term” and “career” to push that angle.
Seek a Chance for Growth
Don’t assume that the best jobs are always a step up. You might have your eye on a workplace or practice that you would love to be part of, but the job they offer is a step down. Consider these jobs as a chance to grow. If your current place of employment is stagnant and not allowing any advancement, a step back in a new job could lead to several advancement opportunities in the future.
Always seek out a mentor from whom you can learn. The smartest people with the best opportunities always make it a point to continue learning. That’s why top tennis players and Olympic athletes still have coaches, because they value someone who can help them to continually grow. Don’t pass up a new occupational therapy job just because the pay grade isn’t ideal. You might not get the immediate pay raise you desire, but having better opportunities is worth more than a slightly higher salary.
Don’t Sit Around and Wait
Don’t assume the best job opportunities are going to come to you, even if an opening is in your current healthcare system. The most sought-after jobs are found by those who are active in their job search, make cold calls, send out résumés, attend job fairs, contact potential employers, research new settings and network. Whether someone has taken the time to place an ad for new occupational therapy jobs or not, everyone is looking for talented professionals. Every clinic seeks out qualified staff who can show determination and resolve. All employers are open to new therapists who are not only qualified and certified, but personable, friendly, and competent. Everyone is amenable to the idea of new and better talent. With that mindset, don’t wait for the next job posting. Get ahead of the pack by keeping all your relationships open with education centers, instructors, former clinics and administrations.
Occupational therapy is still in the nation’s most desirable fields of employment, and there will always be positions open for the right individual. It’s best to keep this in mind when looking for new occupational therapy jobs. Remember this: be the best viable candidate out there. Assume that luck or favor isn’t on your side, but that you will get that new job with drive and determination.
You can always visit our site to find new and exciting careers in occupational therapy. Contact HTS today to access to some of the best resources for new jobs in this industry.
Occupational therapists will tell you that their job is rewarding, fulfilling, complex, and always a challenge, which is why they love it. They will also be glad to know that their future looks secure and strong with a very positive occupational therapy job outlook on this satisfying career. Growth is strong and the trends of an increase in the needs for mental illness and disability care givers demonstrate that occupational therapy looks promising for the foreseeable outlook.
Occupational Therapy Surveys and Statistics
While it’s always fraught with risk trying to predict the future outcome of a career, those who are considering post-acute care or other types of wellness professions would be buoyed by the statistics that have been made available.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) recently conducted a survey of new graduates among their members. The question was posed as to how long after graduation did their first job offer arrive. An enormous 86% responded by saying that they had received their first job offer within 3 months of graduating. A staggering 97% said that they had job offers within 6 months of graduation with over half reporting that their first offer was less than a month after school finished. These respondents also said that at least 5 out 6 therapists were able to land their first job in their preferred practice setting. That means that 85% of graduates with an occupational therapy registered certificate were able to get their first preference of a job within 6 months. Those numbers are incredible to take in and speak volumes about the occupational therapy job outlook.
The perception of the field has played a strong role in this trend. Survey respondents were asked to rate their perception of the strength of the job market for occupational therapists. Almost 75% of the responses were Strong to Very Strong in relation to positions available and positions found. Although these responses were subjective and biased towards those who were already members of an OT association, they are backed up by empirical data as well.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has said that they projected rise in employment for occupational therapists until 2022 is expected to be a 29% increase, a figure which is shown to be significantly better than many other fields. As the population grows, diseases like Alzheimer’s, cerebral palsy, autism, or a loss of limbs or motor function will also increase. There are projections that also show that within the autism scale, high-functioning autism (HFA) patients are also demanding more OT’s and OTA’s.
Long Term Care Growth
OT’s will tell you that they work with a minority group that anybody could enter at any time. Disabilities, hospitalizations, stress or accidents could all result in needing long term care. As the needs grow for those in this group, so does the need for a professional to manage and care for their long-term needs. This is aided by the fact that every year, occupational therapy is added to health care plans and is becoming prevalent throughout society.
Occupational therapy can take place in the school systems, but there are also OTs who work in nursing homes, assisted living, home health, outpatient therapy care centers, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and private practices. There are free football betting tips opening fields of interest in prisons, community settings, return to work programs at employment centers or even occupational therapists employed for the care of employees in an office environment. These fields continue to expand every year as the need grows for long term care in these areas. In particular, occupational therapy in post-acute care is on the rise due to the influx of the 76.4 million baby boomers entering into the senior care industry. Occupational therapy in assisted living settings as well as short-term rehabilitation is continually booming and becoming increasingly popular.
Growth in Public Interest for OTs and OTAs
Employees with a degree in this field are enjoying the current climate of a more health-conscious public. People are becoming more aware of their body and their needs. OTs and OTAs offer the public a holistic approach to the needs of anybody from newborn infants to the elderly in nursing homes. Governments and corporate bodies are also taking an increased interest in this field. The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) has reported that private insurance companies have expanded their coverage to include treatment from an occupational therapist. The Canadian government has recognized the need to stop treating the symptoms and diseases and start promoting wellness that anybody can enjoy. OTs are now seen as necessary to lower medical costs and boost the general health of everyone.
Increased Innovation and Techniques
Moore’s Law states that computing power doubles every 18 months because of increases in technology. This boom of innovation and technology has had a greater impact on occupational therapists as well. For the 25% of OTs who are considering furthering their field through research and telehealth, the future looks bright.
With crowdsourcing options such as Kickstarter or GoFundMe, smaller companies have removed the barrier to entry of large capital or corporate backing formerly needed to innovate new tools and products. Small businesses are designing new wheelchairs, private practices can fund new specialized products for better wellness, and the knowledge of techniques and practices only spreads faster and faster as the internet is more globally available. Countries around the world are now seeking to coordinate and collaborate their knowledge through papers and conferences held around the world.
For those who are employed in this field, or those who are considering a degree in occupational therapy or therapy oversight, the outlook of this career looks good. It’s entirely populated by fiercely compassionate people who have a deep philanthropy and love for humanity. Because of this passion and drive, innovators will make the occupational therapy job outlook only grow in demand and perception.
If you have more questions, or you’re looking for a career in the occupational therapy field, contact the friendly team at HTS today. They have first-hand knowledge of the outlook and upcoming trends of this field.
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