How many times have you heard the phrase evidence-based practice over the last few years? Applying the latest research to your treatment sessions does seem to make sense, doesn’t it? But how do you know when the evidence supports the practice of occupational therapy? This article will explain what evidence-based practice is, why it is […]
Finding free cognitive assessments that are applicable for occupational therapists can be a challenge when you’re in a time crunch. As you may have found, rehab settings don’t always have these on easily hand when you’re in need of assessing a patient’s cognition. Because of this, we did the research for you and found these easy […]
If you’re an occupational therapist working in the acute care setting, you already know that this setting is quite different from the traditional rehab-based settings. Acute care is fast-paced, intense, and so educational. If you’re about to start fieldwork or a new job in acute care, this article will give you a better understanding of […]
When I first became an OT, I spent the first year and a half of my career working solely in inpatient rehab, and during that experience I wrote a post about what a typical inpatient rehab day looks like for me. After that first year and a half, I began cross-training and then floating regularly […]
When working in occupational therapy, have you noticed as you gain clinical experience that there is no “one size fits all” approach to intervention, particularly with patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)? Although these patients share a common diagnostic code, there is so much underlying variation in how MS affects their lives. With that being said, […]
As an occupational therapist, OT student or COTA working in adult rehab settings, you will see your fair share of patients with a neurological disorder that affects their fine motor coordination. This can include a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, or any other illness that affects the patient’s nervous system. These conditions […]
When you get your first job as a licensed occupational therapy practitioner, you usually aren’t thinking about additional occupational therapy specialties right off the bat. Your primary focus is just trying to keep your head above water. You are thrown into unfamiliar territory, and as a result you will likely spend the first few years […]
As occupational therapists, we are instructed to constantly think outside of the box when coordinating and designing therapy interventions. We come to better understand our patients/clients if we strongly acknowledge our patient’s goals and lifestyle needs within their own environment. However, we are unable to fully comprehend individuals’ lifestyles and cultural influences by sitting in […]
In adult rehab settings (both inpatient and outpatient), you will encounter patients with cognitive impairment, which can result in decreased memory. This of course affects individuals’ quality of life and provides everyday challenges for both the patient and their caregivers. Thankfully, as an occupational therapist, you’re well-equipped to address this! This post shares our favorite […]
As I was talking with one of my OT coworker about her new position in home health, we quickly got on the subject of what every Home Health OT or COTA needs in their home health “toolbox.” We came up with a few of the basics, but I felt like more could be added to the […]