PRN occupational therapy: There is a lot to say about it, and because I’m a PRN (or per diem) occupational therapist myself, I really wanted to share my PRN experiences (the good AND the bad). In this article, I lay out the pros and cons of becoming a PRN occupational therapist. This will help you decide […]
If you’re an occupational therapy practitioner or student searching for occupation-based dynamic balance interventions, then this article is just for you! Occupation-based interventions are not only our bread and butter, but they also differentiate us from physical therapy. It can be way too easy to accidentally do the same non-occupation based balance interventions as our […]
As an occupational therapist, you often have patients that are best treated with more than one person (also known as co-treating). The big question is: Should the second person be the nurse, a tech, or a physical therapist? The following will help guide your decision-making process to decide if a patient would be best served […]
Energy conservation techniques (ECTs) are also referred to as work simplification techniques, and both terms are very much within the realm of occupational therapy practice. In order to clear up a common misconception, let’s state right off the bat that promoting ECTs is not synonymous with promoting the “art of laziness.” Rather, energy conservation techniques […]
As occupational therapists, we are instructed to constantly think outside of the box when coordinating and designing therapy intervention. We come to better understand our patients/clients if we strongly acknowledge our patient’s goals and lifestyle needs within their environment. However, we are unable to fully comprehend individuals’ lifestyles and cultural influences by sitting in one […]
Brain damage has devastating consequences on an individual’s daily function and quality of life. Movement restrictions, emotional changes, behavioral problems, and communication deficits differ in severity but drastically reshape a person’s life as well as those of their close family and friends. In this post, you’ll learn about one of the most frustrating disorders that […]
I’m excited to showcase My OT Spot’s first interview with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Occupational Therapist, Abby Lefkove, OTR/L. Occupational therapy in the ICU is a subset of acute care that entails working with medically fragile patients and their families while in the ICU. In this interview, Abby tells us about what a typical occupational […]
Our OT brains are all about task analysis, the ability to completely break down an activity and view the minute details that others don’t see. It is a thought process that is ingrained into our brains starting day one of occupational therapy school. Downgrading and upgrading interventions in a simulated scenario are much easier than […]
Every year in the U.S., millions of people are admitted to the hospital in the acute care setting. In 2015 alone, there were over 35 million hospital admissions. With each admission, many complications can present themselves. Patients may be at higher risk for hospital acquired infections, pressure ulcers, joint contractures, and complications related to decreased […]
Unless you have a background in addressing mental illness, occupational therapists find the mental health field to be an intimidating realm of treatment. Those with a lack of familiarity with the subject tend to immediately concentrate only on the abnormally aggressive behaviors, while ignoring the wider range of dysfunction that plagues a large portion of […]