Health Care Careers: Nursing vs. Occupational Therapy Assistant. Pros & Cons: Nursing career vs. occupational therapy as a profession. Neither profession, nursing or OTA, typically keep regular hours. Graduating as generalists automatically prepares an occupational therapist for work in nearly any setting. FUNCTIONOTAs work under the supervision of an OT, monitoring patient activities, documenting patient progress, and guiding patients in the use of special equipment. However, it can be extremely tough to get into nursing schools these days. Plus, nurses face more extreme cases of human suffering than OTAs. As a registered nurse, you can work in a wide variety of health care settings as well as choose from any number of specialty areas of practice. in Retail Merchandising and Business from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Contact our admission team today! Just like any career, there are pros and cons of working in the nursing and occupational therapy professions. Improving the quality of life for your clients is essential to success. Also, you need to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) examination to be able to practice as a certified OTA. 1. Current registered nurses may be familiar with the language of nursing and skip ahead—but those new to the field researching educational programs can quickly get lost in a sea of abbreviations and overlapping terminology. The career outlook for occupational therapy assistant is great. Want to know more about our 16-month Online OTA program near Phoenix, Arizona? Depending on the job environment you find yourself in, you could work long hours on weekends or evenings. With any profession, there are always going to be pros and cons. Registered nurses (RNs) are part of a highly diverse profession that applies competence and compassion when caring for patients across the health care continuum. You can enter the nursing profession with an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from an accredited higher learning institution. By requesting information, I consent to be contacted by Harcum College through my email, phone, and text using automated technology regarding enrollment. And it’s because schools receive far more student applications than they have spots available. GROWTH*Between 2018 and 2028, nursing jobs in the United States are expected to grow by 12%. Quite frankly, there are more ‘yuck’ factors (blood, germs, viruses, needle sticks, etc.) I plan on job shadowing all of them. Therapy in those both settings takes place within a facility where a patient is admitted, and is often done at least partly at bedside. If you’d rather work in the field of occupational therapy, our Online OTA program in Arizona makes it possible to become an occupational therapy assistant in as few as 16 months. You may end up with a 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday schedule if you find work in a school system, but it’s more likely that you’ll end up in a hospital or home-care setting where you could be needed at all hours. ... the same element that makes occupational therapy so advantageous is something I found particularly trying. Pro’s Of Having an Occupational Health Service. All you need to begin the admission process for our Online OTA program is a high school diploma with a 2.5 GPA or the GED equivalent. I have a B.S. So here is my take on the pros and cons of having an OH service. While registered nurses and occupational therapy assistants serve patients differently, there are still some parallels between these two professions. Pros and Cons of Each Profession. In this post, we’re going to compare two of them: nursing vs. occupational therapy assistant. OTAs can practice the profession in a wide variety of work settings, including clinics, community care centers, hospitals, nursing care facilities, private practices, and school systems. In nursing though there are many different types of nurses. But know myself and how I handle stress, I honestly think that occupational therapy would be better for me. Nurses can specialize in pediatric care, working with children in hospitals or private practices. In occupational health, sometimes worker claims are denied, leaving the worker unsure what to do. This chart highlights some of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Graduating as generalists automatically prepares an occupational therapist for work in nearly any setting. As an OT in the sub-acute arena, I work weekends and holidays including Christmas. PATIENT TYPESAn autistic teen with poor social skills.An elderly adult adapting to memory loss.A child dealing with sensory overload.An office worker with a back injury. Nursing, I believe, would give me a lot of anxiety and stress. Overall the two are similar, yet very different, career paths will have you making a difference in your patients’ lives. So let’s begin. Nurses work with doctors and other health care providers to plan, coordinate, and deliver treatment to patients experiencing varying medical conditions. In occupational therapy that is what you are, an occupational therapist, that's it plain and simple. By Josephine Reid Before I decided to pursue nursing, I did a few days of job shadowing in the local rehab hospital with a few OTs (Occupational Therapists. Also, you need to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) examination to be able to practice as a certified OTA. FUNCTIONNurses work as part of an interprofessional health care team, monitoring patient conditions, performing clinical tasks, and dispensing medication. Each profession has their own distinct licensing and certification process. Many current ADN nurses are being asked by their employers to go back to school to earn their BSN. Pros of Working in Skilled Nursing The pay is excellent. For starters, it’s important to have a solid understanding of what each professional role entails, as well as to determine which best aligns with your personality and career goals. I like to keep a beautiful balance of a creativity and business mindset. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted high growth and a high demand for both nursing and OTA professionals within the next 10 years. Take a look at the pros and cons of inpatient rehab & skilled nursing facilities. WAGES*Nurses in the United States have a median annual salary of $73,300. EMPLOYERS• Hospitals• Nursing homes• Outpatient clinics• Private practices• Military bases• Schools. Take a look at the pros and cons of inpatient rehab & skilled nursing facilities. To become an OTA, you need an Associate of Science degree from an accredited college or university. While OTs develop the patient treatment plans, OTAs work directly with patients to put these plans into action. Terminology: ADN vs. BSN vs. more acronyms. Otherwise, I would be doing myself out of a job, but let me look rationally at this question from an organisation’s point of view. RELATED: Hospital Nursing vs Clinical Nursing. OTA requires less of an investment in higher education, and are certified by the National Board Of Occupational Therapy while helping patients who can’t be helped by modern medicine. What do all these acronyms mean? WAGES*OTAs in the United States have a median annual salary of $61,510. These past few months, I have been looking into all the fields: nursing, occupational therapy and physician assisting. Part two discusses barriers … Treatment often relies on adaptive tools and/or environmental modifications to fit the unique needs of the individual. As an occupational therapy assistant, you can enter the workforce with just an associate’s degree.This means less time in school, fewer student loans, and more people you could be helping sooner. If you decide to go the nursing route, there are several different ways to go about entering the profession. OVERVIEWOccupational therapy assistants work with patients of all ages who have physical and/or cognitive impairments. 1031-1/2 S. Los Angeles Street. EMPLOYERS• Hospitals• Nursing homes• Community care centers• Private practices• Outpatient clinics• Schools. Essentially, you learn the fundamentals of the OTA profession online, convert that knowledge into psychomotor skills at our learning site, and then tie everything together within the scope of OTA practice through fieldwork. OVERVIEWNurses balance knowledge and expertise with care and compassion when treating patients with various medical conditions. The client-centered nature of this job can be both intrinsically enriching, as you are in a position to provide care and help to patients, but it can also lead to physical and emotional stress. COTAs, or Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants, do a lot of the same work that OTs do. ... the same element that makes occupational therapy so advantageous is something I found particularly trying. I work at Dressamed.com headquarters in Los Angeles. PROS• Helps patients of all ages• Good earning potential• Advancement opportunities• Diverse work settings, CONS• Puts safety at risk• Physically demanding• Emotionally taxing• Constant charting• Works long shifts, PROS• Helps patients of all ages• Good earning potential• Growing profession• Diverse work settings, CONS• Not a well-known career• Physically demanding• Emotionally taxing• Considerable paperwork• Limited career advancement. Under the direction of an occupational therapist (OT), an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) helps individuals of all ages develop, recover, or improve the skills they need for daily living and working.