Occupational Therapist duties and responsibilities
Occupational Therapists perform various tasks that help patients get back to doing things that are important to them. Duties and responsibilities of the job may include:
- Partnering with clients and families to formulate and implement individualized goals with focused, targeted, and measurable outcomes
- Providing direct client care in collaboration with clients and families to plan, implement, and evaluate care
- Ensuring that clients are receiving effective and efficient care
- Utilizing research to formulate and implement evidence-based practice
- Problem-solving with members of the in-patient inter-professional care team and community providers to create an integrated approach to care
- Addressing challenges identified during in-patient stay
- Documenting workload statistics according to the Ministry of Health
- Writing and filing reports on an electronic health record as required
Occupational Therapist skills and qualifications
A successful Occupational Therapist has various skills and qualifications that allow them to fulfill the duties of the job, including:
- Ability to administer and develop treatment plans and programs
- Knowledge of body mechanics for moving, lifting, or transferring patients
- Ability to manage various clinical responsibilities effectively and efficiently
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral
- Ability to work independently and as a team member
- Strong drive for improving and working on professional development
- Strong organizational skills and ability to multitask
- Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills
Occupational Therapist experience requirements
Occupational Therapists need a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised clinical fieldwork, or on-the-job training, which is equivalent to about 125 days of full-time work. This is a requirement for certification. Through fieldwork, prospective Occupational Therapists gain first-hand experience in the profession and learn under the guidance of established professionals.
Occupational Therapist training and education
Candidates for an Occupational Therapy position need to have graduated from an accredited university with a Master’s degree in occupational therapy. They also need to have completed a certification exam from the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and registered with the regulatory and licensing body of their particular province or territory.
Occupational Therapist salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average pay for an Occupational Therapist in Canada is $74,113 per year. The salary varies depending on experience, location, and the company that is hiring.
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