Are you currently happy with your occupational therapy job? or are you currently unhappy? is the pay good?

please feel free to tell me what you like and don't like about your current occupational therapy job?

I am very happy with my current job. I am doing home health about 3 - 4 days a week and working in an in-patient rehab facility 1 day a week. I was working in a nursing home for a few years and got burnt out. Not so much because of the population I was working (although I did get bored with contracture management and w/c and bed positioning patients) with but because of the work atmosphere - mostly the chasm between nursing and the rehab staff.

What I like about my job:

Home health: most patients are very thankful you came to their home to provide treatment and are willing to participate in therapy; I get to make my own schedule - so I decide how many patients I am going to see, when I am going to see them, and set my own days/hours; seeing patients in their home enivronment.

Rehab facility: patients are there for rehab, therefore, most are very motivated to participate; the variety of diagnoses and high population of stroke patients (my favorite type to work with!), the amount of equipment available.

What I don't like:

Home health: getting in and out of the car all day, having to drive 50+ miles each way to see a patient who is unusually far out of my usual area, family members are present most of the time - while that can be good, often they tend to be a little "too" helpful, lack of equipment - although that causes you to be extra creative!

Rehab facility: More rigid work schedule - doesn't allow much flexibility - it is a 7:00 - 3:30 job. That 's it!

As far as earnings: For home health, I make $65/treatment and $75 for an eval. Mileage is 43 cent/mile. I

Rehab hospital: $45/hour

The thing about OT is - there are so many different areas (school, pediatrics in-patient and outpatient, acute hospital, wellness, nursing home, home health, in patient rehab, ergonomics (workplace consultations) assitive technology, mental health, etc) that you can do. So, if you get bored or burnt out in one area, you can explore another.

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