As with any job, there are pros and cons to an occupational therapy assistant career. Evaluate the pros and cons of occupational therapy careers to decide if it's the right choice for you. All too often, occupational therapists come out of school and are eager to work with people, only to find that a majority of their time is spent handling paperwork, helping plan discharges, and doing other administrative things. All schooling is done within two years, as opposed to spending five years in college to become a PT. Related Post: Wherever you live, our Online OTA program isn’t that far away. Many times, new graduate occupational therapists may ask the seasoned occupational therapy assistants in their department for advice on specific cases or difficult patients. Depending on the client’s needs and situation, you could work with any number of medical disciplines. Pros and Cons of Each Profession. This is due to a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) living in areas with too many OT and COTA programs, fewer settings hiring COTAs (due to needing evaluating therapists), upcoming Medicare changes, and so on. Learn about each of these exciting practice areas. If Level II Fieldwork opportunities cannot be found nearby, you may need to relocate temporarily for this final step of your OTA education. Regarding cons**,** patience and peace are the keys you must hold, because it takes a lot to explain the special individuals rather than normal ones. 1. This ensures you graduate with a wealth of experience in real-life practice settings. You might think of an OTA working in a rehabilitation clinic or hospital, but these healthcare professionals can be found in many other places! While the American Occupational Therapy Association is a great resource, your admissions advisor can also help you. This gives OTAs significant room for creativity in how they approach and accomplish these goals. Pros and Cons comparison chart of becoming an OTA. That isn’t necessarily the case. Before heading back to school, consider the pros and cons of an occupational therapy assistant career. Pros and Cons of Online Occupational Therapy Programs No doubt, online programs offer great advantages to the would-be occupational therapists, but they also bring some disadvantages along with them. Unpredictable schedules. In fact, most places they work are unique, too. Meanwhile, the COTA is the one handling the routine treatments day in and day out. They may rely on physical therapist assistants, or PT assistants, to help with such tasks as observing patients, demonstrating assistive devices and recording progress. An OT may only treat their patient for the evaluation, progress note updates, and discharge. Before making a decision about your future, you need to be sure a career is right for you, and that means looking at both and deciding what matters most to you. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition that employment prospects for physical therapy assistants is expected to increase tremendously. These are the pros and cons of the career. In most companies and states, a certified occupational therapy assistant can also work in this position. As an OTA, you’ll work closely with not only occupational therapists, allowing you to continue learning after you graduate, but you’ll also get to see other medical practitioners at work. They have more education, after all. In fact, OTA regularly appears on lists of top-paying jobs that require an associate’s degree. In-Demand Career Field PRO: If you didn’t already know how in-demand Physical Therapy is, consider this: The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that 71,800 PT jobs would be created by 2024!. We all enter the field with the intention of helping as many people as possible through our direct interactions. So, here we expound on some of the cons of having a career in home health. After searching and investigating professions, you settle on the wonderful field of Occupational Therapy. Being a COTA myself, I am laying out my list of all the pros and cons in this post in hopes it will help you decide if you want to go the COTA route. As we can clearly see, an occupational therapy assistant is an important part of the rehab team. However, it’s not just the demand that makes this little-known field an attractive career option …. For example, you cannot simply begin working without an OT (in some states and rare cases, a COTA can work directly under the supervision of a doctor). However, there is also a benefit. Ability to be supportive to patients and set up a great working environment for them on the road to become healthy. Additionally, both OTRs and COTAs can go on to become administrators, liaisons, and hold other positions within companies and facilities. Ultimately, it comes down to what you want out of a career. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Founded in 1917, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) represents the professional interests and concerns of more than 213,000 occupational therapists, assistants, and students nationwide. When an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) goes to work, each day is different. In their third semester, Online OTA students participate in an intensive NBCOT Prep Coaching Program featuring a seven-week study plan custom-tailored to their needs, weekly group study sessions, and one-on-one coaching sessions with a licensed OT practitioner. There are many articles out there that recommend becoming a COTA for those who are thinking about becoming an OT, and then simply transitioning. by Morgan Kurtz, MS, OTR/L. It is only reasonable for the patient or family to want to know details about progress and discharge. What Are the Six Occupational Therapy Practice Areas? Whether near or far, our Online OTA program is for you. If you decide to work as a COTA, there is certain amount of autonomy and responsibility that you lose. While demand for occupational therapy assistants is growing, particularly in home care settings, it’s important to keep in mind that demand varies from one place to another. As there is with any job, there are pros and cons to working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). When a client or family member asks a question, having to run every answer through your OT supervisor can be difficult. If a patient’s treatment somehow causes harm (although unlikely), it is the role of the supervising occupational therapist to accept responsibility and make amends however necessary. Becoming an OTA is a great way to experience the field of occupational therapy without needing to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree. With any profession, there are always going to be pros and cons. Pros. There is a great deal of overlap and ultimately you will work with many of the same children on many of the same goals. OTs understand the challenges faced by physical therapy as well as speech therapy, making an excellent middleman. ... Cons of OTA. PRN occupational therapy: There is a lot to say about it, and because I’ve been a PRN (or per diem) occupational therapist for over five years now, I really wanted to share my PRN experiences (the good AND the bad). Still, the majority of the responsibility of handling this will fall to the supervising occupational therapist. Of course, demand varies by state. St. Catherine University’s online OTA program could have you graduating with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in just 16 months. OTRs earn about $41/hr across the country according to BLS data for 2018 median income. Certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) help patients recover, improve and develop skills that are crucial to working and living. Tuition Costs for Occupational Therapy Assistants. 9 min read 8.3k views ... but after living in a condensed area with several occupational therapy (OT) schools, I opened my search up to contractor opportunities with apprehension. By requesting information, I consent to be contacted by St. Catherine University through my email, phone, and text using automated technology regarding enrollment. What would be most helpful for you? St. Catherine University’s Online OTA program, your state’s occupational therapy regulatory body, Skills labs held about once a month on Sundays, Two, three-day Level I Fieldwork sessions, Two, 320-hour Level II Fieldwork sessions. But if you can stomach through it, you’ll leave at the end of the day knowing you’ve made a difference. Contractor (Independent Contractor) assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. A COTA can even own their own practice. The nature of an OTA’s job requires that they teach the skills of daily living. That’s part of what makes it such a great field to get into right now. My OT Spot uses cookies to improve your experience. Outpatient Therapy Thanks to St. Kate’s convenient online coursework, much of your OTA education will take place on your time at your home, local library or favorite coffee shop. In this article, I cover both the pros and cons of working as a PRN occupational therapist. According to the same 2010 report, occupational therapy assistants averaged $51,010 in annual income. Thanks a lot for connecting with me through my e_mail .l’m a kenyan; an occupational therapist by profession; practising in a public hospital and have a passion in pediatric, currently operating in out_patient pediatric unit. Let’s be honest … every job has its upsides and its downsides. Just be aware that it may take students with very limited (or no) college experience longer to complete our program curriculum and thus earn a degree. You’ve seen how much good can truly be accomplished through the occupational therapy process. For example, you might coordinate care with a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, speech pathologist, registered nurse, or doctor, just to name a few. Or perhaps you had a loved one recover from a stroke or some other condition so now you want to help others in a similar way. OTs understand the challenges faced by physical therapy as well as speech therapy, making an excellent middleman. Licensed nurses and with less than a 2 year degree are still called nurses, as well as RNs with AS degrees whereas Certified Nursing Assistants have less education than COTAs or PTAs. If you’re seeking a career that allows you to change lives, look no further. The most important thing to remember for a COTA working in a management position is not blurring the line between managing the operations of a facility and dictating the outcomes of evaluations or other decisions. Occupational Therapy Assistants assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. Physical Therapist Assistants. It’s no secret that many people have never heard of occupational therapy. Like most jobs, there are advantages, but also some disadvantages, to working as a PT assistant. OTAs, like many healthcare support roles, have a lot of options when it comes to their schedule. As you’re looking, you no doubt automatically gravitate towards working in one specific setting or another. © 2021 St. Catherine University | Privacy Policy, The Pros and Cons of an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career. Though helping people live their best lives is immensely rewarding, it can be emotionally draining at times — something anyone who has worked in healthcare can attest to. “There are certainly a lot of advantages. Without them, occupational therapy services may just be out of reach for many clients. She is passionate about disease prevention and meeting the emotional and physical needs of … According to the BLS, the median wage for OTAs is $60,220, though it varies considerably by location. A COTA earns around $28/hr according to BLS 2018 median income data. COTAs, or Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants, do a lot of the same work that OTs do. With St. Catherine University’s Online OTA program, you can study to become an OTA without needing to relocate, so long as you are willing to travel to one of our learning sites in California, Texas or Virginia. For example, each state has different continuing education requirements. As an OTA, you will make a difference in people’s lives every single day — helping them to live better, maintain or regain independence, learn new skills, improve mobility, and adapt to or overcome disabilities, among other things. Fortunately, students of St. Kate’s Online Occupational Therapy Assistant program have an advantage over OTA students at other schools. If you subscribe to the notion that variety is the spice of life, then you’ll love the diversity of opportunities afforded by a career in occupational therapy. With the exception of small practices, where the OT may do it all, the OTA then steps in to carry out the plan, keeping the occupational therapist informed of the client’s progress and collaborating with him or her throughout the process. Also, you need to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) examination to be able to practice as a certified OTA. In fact, we’ve had a number of students who chose our program because they wanted to get into this fast-growing field but were tired of sitting on occupational therapist program waitlists. More about what is a CNA Nurse Assistant. However, keep in mind that this depends on where you live and what is in your area. 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