By Susan - Thursday 9 Apr 11:00 am
When opting to go into the employ of occupational therapy, there are a vast number of choices you can make as to which arena you’d like to work in. All of these positions and the knowledge backing them up are explored by people with a clinical research job in occupational therapy. Clinical research is an integral part of occupational therapy and provides an informative platform for occupational therapists to work from.
Clinical research jobs in occupational therapy are the basis for the practice of occupational therapy and its success with the vastly different patients, cases and disabilities that walk through the door. It is basically the collection of information for treatment purposes, the valuation of this treatment and the improvement of such. Without clinical research jobs in occupational therapy, there would be no foundation for therapists to base their studies and treatments on. Clinical research jobs in occupational therapy continually update therapists and medical sources with their most recent findings with regards to occupational therapy treatment, and what works and what doesn’t.
Clinical research jobs in occupational therapy are responsible for updating findings with current research and treatment methods. Finding innovative new ways to improve occupational therapy treatments is always of primary importance for clinical researchers. Other significant duties carried out by clinical research jobs in occupational therapy include:
- Full assessments of the results obtained from drug trials and tests
- Measuring the results obtained in patients through continued occupational therapy treatments of varying degrees
- Recognizing fine and gross motor patterns and responses according to specific tests and treatments
- Implementing and putting testing in place for new treatment methods
Opting to follow the path of clinical research jobs in occupational therapy usually requires that you already have your degree in occupational therapy. It is offered as an advanced module of study. It can take from up to 8 weeks to complete the studies for clinical research jobs in occupational therapy. They are offered through private institutions as well as through Universities and local colleges.
There are clinical research jobs in occupational therapy at almost all medical institutions and occupational therapy centres. A lot of medical institutions outsource clinical research jobs in occupational therapy, so you can find a plethora of job availability through online portals or medical recruitments agencies. Jobs might be offered through your study centres.
Certain prerequisites need to be in place before considering clinical research jobs in occupational therapy. You will need to have studied or be studying occupational therapy and have your masters or doctorate degree. The clinical research advanced segment can be incorporated into your occupational therapy studies. Added to this is the basics abilities to manage numerous priorities is a plus as is having a basic knowledge of data capturing.
With such a vital need for clinical research jobs in occupational therapy and the fact that senior position salaries are competitive and almost in line with occupational therapists, there are very positive reasons as to why you should elect to take a clinical research job in occupational therapy.
Posted in: Job Search, Therapy Jobs
By Susan - Sunday 5 Apr 11:00 am
Choosing to become an occupational therapy assistant is by no means downgrading from occupational therapist. Your level of skill must still be competitive and you must still possess an earnest desire to help people with disabilities. You will also be required to work hands on with patients in assisting them through their phases of healing and rehabilitation by various means of treatment and initiating exercises. An occupational therapy assistant is just as important to the job as the occupational therapist is.
By being an occupational therapy assistant, you are opening yourself up to the world of occupational therapy by taking the passenger seat in all business operations and consultations. It is an excellent platform to view the workings of an occupational therapist’s rooms and further decipher if that is the route that you will take in the future. Many occupational therapy assistants opt to remain in that position for the rest of their careers, by choice and not by circumstance. In fact many occupational therapy assistants chose to study for that very position and never had any intention of becoming a fully fledged occupational therapist.
Occupational therapy assistants are considered entry level positions for occupational therapists, and it is not unusual for all occupational therapists to have been an assistant at one point in their careers or another. With most Universities you are required to complete an internship as a part of your studies, and the most common position held for this learning period is an occupational therapy assistant, learning your practical skills from a licensed occupational therapist. It is also not uncommon for students to feel so comfortable and at ease in this position that they opt to stay there, as mentioned previously.
Basic occupational therapy assistant’s duties include preparing patients for their consultations, handling the signing in and registration of new clients before their first consultation, doing basic exercises or activities with patients that don’t require the supervision of the occupational therapist, carrying out administrative duties for the office or rooms such as keeping patient’s details up to date and in order. Occupational therapy assistants will also be available to handle the overflow of patients for the occupational therapist, if there is ever the need due to an emergency situation.
Other more interesting duties that occupational therapy assistants will pursue are possibly to be given some of the less complicated disabilities to work with and will be required to carry out exercises, activities, stretches, small movements with these patients. They will also be required to give a full report back to the occupational therapist in charge. They would have the opportunity to help patients to improve their fine motor coordination as well as gross motor skills through exercises and stretches. The occupational therapy assistant would also have the chance to help patients learn valuable life skills to improve their lifestyle, living states and overall health and wellbeing.
By being an occupational therapy assistant, you are by no means signing up for the easy road. Your job will still be as challenging and motivating as that of an occupational therapist.
Posted in: Job Search, Therapy Jobs
By Brad - Wednesday 28 May 11:25 am
Within the Therapy Sector there is constant confusion between Occupational Therapy Jobs and Physical Therapy. Which one is the preferred method of treatment and are they the same thing?
Both forms of therapy have many similarities as the training involved from both sides run on a close parallel. However, they are in fact very specialized in quite a few different ways. Both therapies assist patients in increasing muscular strength and awareness of the body and how it works. Both therapies require a far-reaching comprehension of human anatomy and physiology, and they both address issues such as weakness and under active muscle development whilst giving advice on how to improve these conditions.
But it is the finer points that make each therapy unique and make them stand apart from each other. Occupational therapy jobs focus more around activating the bodily tools that are inherently yours, and making them work optimally for you. In a case where a person has suffered an injury, an Occupational Therapist would not treat the injury itself, but rather assist you to become physically and mentally functional with the injury and be able to cope with it as you gradually build up towards recovery.
In this case, a Physical Therapist would treat the injury itself on a physical level. Helping to heal the torn tissues or ligaments through manipulation and massage and their extensive knowledge of the musculoskeletal system and how it works. Occupational Therapy jobs center more on life skills and healthy living habits, and how improving them will thus improve your life. Whereas Physical Therapy jobs would concentrate on treating an actual impairment, injury or disability
With regards to salary differences, the remuneration amounts for both Occupational Therapy jobs and Physical Therapy jobs vary according to what area you would be working in, which company or hospital you would be working for, how many clients you have on your books etc. On average Physical Therapy jobs get paid a marginal amount more per annum than Occupational Therapy jobs do.
On the whole, Physical Therapy is a more widely known form of therapy and is thus often trusted further than Occupational Therapy is. However it might not always be the appropriate tool for the job at hand as we now know.
Posted in: Therapy Jobs
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