Occupational therapisy assistant or respiratory?
Which is in higher job demand ?
And are they both a 9-5 type job?
I do not want 12 hour shifts
It depends where you work, whether you are willing to relocate, etc. many jobs have positions in the hospitals which can be shift work, where the shifts can vary in length. Lots of medical jobs are shifts that can greatly vary in length.
You can expect to work holidays and weekends , varying shifts with each profession. It’s more important to look at what each job entails rather than salaries and shifts . Healthcare requires a lot of thought and should not be considered based solely salaries and work schedules. I suggest you look at volunteering or visiting both professions before entering a program.
Agree that shadowing someone in each of those professions is well worth the time and experience. You need to have a better feel for what you’re getting yourself in to. The fields are quite different. RTs keep airways open and help wig breathing and treating folks its breathing problems, which can be life or death situations. OTs help restore function for people who are injured or paralyzed.
Knowing more about each field you’re considering will help you make a choice that you can happily enjoy for a much longer time.
We have the same now and I’m also a mom of 2 ! Lol
Sounds like I should go with OTA . Thank u
You also need to be aware of the not so appealing aspects of the jobs like access to bodily fluids and secretions. I was shopping for uniforms one day when the local CC respiratory therapy students were shopping for the supplies needed as they entered the program. One of the students stopped an said " Mask with a face shield ? What do I need that for?"
She had clearly not investigated all aspects of the job. When I explained why that was on her list, she turned a funny shade , and began to put her supplies back on the shelf. As an occupational therapist , I deal with bodily fluids on a daily basis. I’ve had to teach people to manage their colostomy bags among other less than pleasant tasks. You need to be aware of these things before you spend a lot of time studying a program that you may not be interested in.
“I do not want 12 hour shifts”
“We have the same now and I’m also a mom of 2 ! Lol”
Are you the person who asked about LPN program?
It sounds like you are looking for a field where you can work 9-5… And be able to support your kids and be with them when they are out of school.
OT may require weekends and some holidays but hours will be more consistent day hours than respiratory therapy
You may want to look at the American Occupational Therapy Association website and the American Respiratory Therapy Association website to get a detailed description of both fields , as well as info regarding educational requirements and job outlook.
And this site as well. It has descriptions of occupations, salary ranges, projected growth in employment, and links professional organizations:
If I’m not mistaken, this poster is asking about OTA…occupational therapy assistant…not occupational therapist.
In my experience, there are plenty of OTA positions which are regular hours, and not even weekends. Many school systems hire OTA’s as do private clinics. School positions do not have weekend or evening hours. Many clinics have very flexible hours.
Respiratory therapists I’ve known have worked in hospitals. Their shifts tend to be more variable, and weekends and evenings…even overnights are possible.
The medical field is really not a 9 to 5 type of job. Try looking at different job sites like Indeed to get a idea for each career choice.
I was going to suggest dental hygienist. The woman who cleans my teeth loves her work hours. Of course, it will depend on the job outlook and mostly if you are ok with dealing with people and a bit of biohazardous fluids.
Yes, dental hygiene is a field in high demand, but LOTS of exposure to bodily fluids.
@thumper1 You are correct that the OP was asking about Occupational Therapy Assistant programs and not Occupational Therapist positions. You are also correct that occupational therapy assistants do work in school settings which offer daytime hours. Those jobs are often difficult to get , especially without pediatric experience. Many occupational therapy assistants work in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, rehab facilities ,and subacute rehab facilities . Many of these facilities require weekend coverage and holiday coverage to satisfy insurance requirements .
Occupational therapists are responsible for evaluation of patients and development of a treatment program, but the occupational therapy assistant often carries out the treatment program . Job opportunities vary greatly depending on geographic location. In my area ( the Southeast) job opportunities have become more limited for assistants , while there has been shortages of occupational therapists. Many of our recent assistant graduates in our area have gone months without finding full time positions . Many have had to relocate or drive long distances once they have found a job. In my experience job flexibility has decreased considerably in the past few years .
Many fields, including RTs, it is very helpful for employment if you are as flexible as possible on hours, conditions, yes and being willing to live in less desirable lications where there may be job openings.