We need to look at the curriculum and clinical hours for both of these professions. Occupational therapy schools are not the easy route to a degree. OT programs require graduate-level study and nurses only need an associate, while in some ways they have more similarities than differences (both involve patient care), it’s still not as simple or straightforward because there is subject matter for which one does either path; this can make choosing between them difficult when you don’t know what your future career plans may be.
There is a lot of discussion and debate about whether occupational therapy school is harder than nursing school. This article will explore the differences between these two educational paths and answer that question for you!
Why Is Occupational Therapy School Harder than Nursing School?
Here are some reasons why you might think occupational therapy is more difficult.
- It takes longer to get your degree,
- You have to take the GRE exam before applying,
- Every year you need to do clinical hours with actual patients in order to keep your license.
- There is also an intense job search because there aren’t many jobs for OTs and
- It’s hard finding people who want to hire someone with a Master of Science degree while they can just hire someone with a Bachelor of Science degree for less money.
- The most difficult part of being an OT is trying to get into school in the first place. In order to do this you must make sure your GPA is high enough (typically at least a B average)
However, despite these difficulties, Occupational Therapy School has its own rewards such as having time to explore a variety of different types of therapy, being able to work with people from all walks of life and backgrounds.
Nursing School is Easier Than Occupational Therapy School
Here are some reasons why nursing might be considered easier than occupational therapy:
- It takes less time,
- there is more flexibility in your schedule,
- you have more free time before applying for the job market
- and it’s an established career path that has been around much longer.
Some people think OTs make too little money or don’t use their degree enough while nurses do very well financially (although this may change if budget cuts continue). People also feel like they will get burned out after doing so many hours on one topic because each patient requires specialized care depending on their condition.
Nurses and Occupational Therapists: What Do They Do?
Occupational therapy school requires a lot more studying and understanding than other professions. Nurses, for example, can focus on understanding the workings of their machines and how to care for people’s needs–mostly they only need to know how to work with patients who already have a diagnosis or condition. This prevents them from having to think about what caused people’s conditions in the first place (recall again our concept map showing two ways we assess).
Occupational therapists, however, cannot rely on these types of evaluations; instead, they must be able to understand causal factors and train patients not just in skills but also impacts on their day-to-day life (which can include environmental factors, body changes, and emotional effects).
Occupational therapists also have to do more hands-on work with clients. This is because they are often training their patients in new skills that will help them get back into the workforce or even just complete daily activities at home without getting overwhelmed. They need to be able to understand how each
How Does Ot School Differ From Nursing School?
Traditional occupational therapy or “OT” school is a full-time program that typically takes around 1.5-2 years to complete, with an emphasis on hands-on, practical approaches for helping people to reach their maximum potential. Occupational therapists go through many hours of work experience in actual occupational therapy settings (in hospital rooms, schools, workplaces, etc.) as part of their degree requirements.
Nursing schools can take 2 years also; the two-degree programs are similar but nursing students do not focus on treating patients at the occupational level and instead enter entry-level positions once they graduate.
The New York Institute of Technology offers both an Occupational Therapy degree and a Nursing Degree where you
What Is The Difference In The Education Of A Nurse Vs An OT?
A typical nursing program may require a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a 4-year course load that includes general education courses such as biology, math, English composition, and humanities.
In contrast, an occupational therapy program can take up to 8 years of post-secondary education with a specific focus on the occupation/therapy profession. The curriculum for an OT may include topics such as anatomy/physiology; therapeutic procedures; diagnosis and treatment planning; medical terminology; rehabilitation ethics/legal issues/standards. On top of all this intense coursework is the requirement for extensive clinical hours in order to
Does Occupational Therapy Require More Study Than Nursing?
Occupational therapy does require more study than nursing, but it’s important to remember both of these programs are very demanding with long hours in order to complete the program successfully. Many universities allow you to begin taking classes as an advanced or graduate student so you can save time by avoiding the first two years of nursing school.
Nursing students are able to take general education courses while matriculating in their degree program where occupational therapy students will have to complete these classes before beginning their studies, which is why it takes longer for them to get a degree even though they spend less time in school.
As for the best choice, it largely depends on your personality and where you would like to end up working as an occupational therapist or a nurse because both of these professions require hard work and dedication (which is true for most health care careers).
The Benefits Of Being An Ot: More Job Security And Less Time Commitment
-Usually, more job security than a nurse since IT’s often work on short notice and by themselves so they don’t have to ask for time off, they only take the hours that they want
-Less time commitment per week, OTs can do clinical work from home with their most difficult patients where nurses must be in the hospital full-time or parttime
-Opportunity to volunteer at a variety of places such as nursing homes and hospitals helping people with physical disabilities
Overall it takes a lot of hard work to become a therapist but the benefits outweigh what it takes. Having less time you might think is not ideal, but if one is looking for a career with less stress and more free time that they have to themselves, then occupational therapy is the way. These benefits make the answer of “is occupational therapy a dying field” in a positive aspect. Also, switching from nursing to occupational therapy isn’t impossible after having the benefits of being a OT.
The Drawbacks Of Being An OT: Lower Salary Than Nurses
Occupational therapy vs nursing salary is quite beyond of thinking.Nursing, and specifically the Registered Nurse job title, pay more than Occupational Therapy. The expected salary is between $43,200 and $81,000 according to US News & World Report’s 50 Best Jobs of 2016. This would be an increase over the previous year’s rankings where occupational therapists found themselves at 43rd place with a median salary of $57,000.So, the answer of this question of do nurses make more than physical therapists is yes it is.
The good news about Occupational Therapy jobs is that they’ve increased in volume dramatically since last year by about 40%. The bad news is that the trend looks like it will continue right on-trend following yearly increases over the next 10 years. It should be noted that this doesn’t change statistics for salaries: there are twice as many
Occupational Therapy Vs Nursing -choose Which And Why
In the end, both nursing and OT have their pros and cons so it really comes down to what type of person you are when making this decision. If you’re a social butterfly who likes meeting new people then the nursing school might be better for you since there is more time spent with patients- while some applicants do enjoy going out into the community in order to work closely with clients rather than spending hours at a hospital or clinic every day.
However if your idea of occupational therapy doesn’t include patient care but instead focuses on different therapies such as art, music, or even agriculture -then maybe becoming an OT is exactly what you’ve been looking for! There’s no one answer that will fit everyone though because each individual has his/her own strengths and weaknesses that will come into play when making this decision.
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Is occupational therapy school harder than nursing? It’s hard to say. The two degrees require different levels of commitment and skill sets, which means that it can be difficult to compare them side by side. That said, in general, the answer is yes – OT programs are usually more rigorous and demanding than those for nurses. Does that mean you shouldn’t pursue a career as an OT if you don’t want to work as hard? Of course not! But make sure your decision reflects what’s important to you before committing any time or money. If after reading this blog post you still have questions about whether Occupational Therapy School is Harder Than Nursing School, comment below
