To anyone involved w/ occupational therapy: What is the nature of occupational therapy?

I'd like to hear about the specific duties of occupational therapists, what the job market is really like, and if occupational therapists find the career rewarding. Also, what kind of traits make a person a good occupational therapist?

(I am thinking of enrolling in an occupational therapy program after I graduate, and I would like to find out the information I can't obtain from the Occupational Outlook Handbook.)

Thank you!

As far as the duties of an OT, is really depends on the setting you practice in. I have worked in several different adult settings - you do anything from helping people wipe their rear ends to cook a meal. Basically - life skills. This can range from being in an acute setting and teaching a person who just had a hip replacement to use a sock aid to put their socks on to being in a rehab facility and helping someone who had a stroke regain functional use of their affected arm. OTs can work on community reintegration - reading bus schedules, money management, etc. They teach patients to maximize their safety and independence in all environments. I work primarily in home health and a rehab hospital. In home health, I work primarily on endurance, upper body strength, increasing a person's independence getting dressed, bathed, groomed, eating, toileting, getting in/out of bed, transfers (to/from the toilet, shower, recliner, etc), hand problems, cooking, cleaning, car transfers, and increasing safety (by environment adaptations) in the home. My advice would be to observe some OTs in different settings prior to making your decision.
The job market is awesome! There is a huge need for OTs now - At the rehab hospital, I make $45/hour and doing home health, I make an average of $70 per visit (which generally lasts from 40 - 60 minutes).
It is a very rewarding job - especially when you see an improvement in your patients!
As far as traits - definately a people person, someone with a good amount of patience, someone who can be empathtic to what their patients are going through without becoming overly involved, someone with the ability to motivate people, and a good problem solver.
Good luck!

I used to work in an occupational therapy office. The therapists all had alot of fun. You have to be a people person, because you will have patients coming in all day long. An OT works with patients who have hand or wrist injuries, and you will show them different stretches, exercises, etc in order to get the hand or wrist back to normal. I think it is very rewarding because you actually get to see these patients get better over time.