In addition, as injured servicemen and women return from combat, they, too, are in need of rehabilitative services to help them recover from the physical, mental and emotional injuries received while in combat. These types of rehabilitation jobs may be done specifically by servicemen and women still active in the armed forces and working as occupational or physical therapists, but there are plenty of "civilian" physical therapy jobs USA or occupational therapist positions as well.
Physical and Occupational Therapist Jobs
Physical and occupational therapists work with patients to restore previously held function or in some cases to help patients learn how to do things for the first time. For example, occupational therapist jobs focus on helping patients learn how to do "self-care" tasks such as, eating, drinking, and in general, performing the tasks of daily living that require fine motor skills.
Physical therapists help patients regain function after accident or injury on a larger scale. For example, a physical therapist may help patients regain ability after an automobile accident and learn to walk again. Or, they may help patients rebuild muscles after having been bedridden for a significant period of time due to injury or illness.
Getting physical therapy jobs
As a physical therapist, you'll need a master's degree from a physical therapy program that's been accredited and you'll also need a state license. To get your state license, you'll need to pass both national and state level exams qualifying you for the position.
Getting occupational therapy jobs
To become an occupational therapist, you'll need to have a master's degree in occupational therapy, six months of supervised fieldwork, and a license enabling you to practice occupational therapy in your state.
Other skills needed
In addition to the previously mentioned special training and education needed by both occupational and physical therapists, you'll need excellent interpersonal skills and a calm and cheerful demeanor. Because patients in either situation are often in some emotional turmoil as well, it will help them recover their faculties (or gain them in the first place) if the attitude you present is one that is positive and cheerful. Giving them this type of environment can help them meet the goals they need to in order to become more functional.
In addition, you'll also need to be of significant physical strength. Both physical therapy and occupational therapy jobs require that you have the physical strength to assist patients, including having to do some patient lifting or offering assistance in other ways, such as supporting a patient who is learning how to walk.
These jobs may require you to be on your feet for long periods of time, or to stoop or kneel for longer periods of time, too. In addition, physical therapy especially necessitates that you must be able to lift patients' extremities such as legs or arms so as to stimulate movement, pull, bend, straighten, and put them through several motions. Therefore, you have to have the physical stamina to undertake either of these jobs.
Advancing in therapy careers
Both occupational therapists and physical therapists can advance in their careers by assuming managerial positions and thereby supervising therapy aides or assistants, or physical or occupational therapists in subordinate positions.
Outlook and compensation
Both occupational and physical therapists have very good job outlooks. As the population ages and as children with developmental disabilities like autism become increasingly common, these therapists will have their work cut out for them. They will be required to help patients either reclaim or establish independence after injury, illness or trauma. In addition, many children born with developmental disabilities need to be taught what many children learn naturally over the course of time, such as development of fine motor skills or the basic skills needed to manage one's own physical care. With disabilities like autism on the rise, physical and occupational therapists will be in great demand.
There is one caveat to the current job outlook, and that is that at present, many insurance companies and HMOs, for example, have established caps on many different types of health expenses, including those incurred by use of physical or occupational therapy. Because of this, many patients don't get all of the therapy they need and many patients are also operating completely without insurance. This in turn impacts how much work there is to be done by occupational and physical therapists. Nonetheless, those who need physical and occupational therapy will remain in force and in fact their numbers are expected to grow. Because of this, physical and occupational therapists can expect a good job security, especially in the event that the current health insurance crisis is resolved and patients get the services they need without question.
Occupational therapists earned about $60,000 and physical therapists earned about $66,000, as of 2006.
