Is occupational therapy harder than nursing? (2024)

FAQs

Is occupational therapy harder than nursing? ›

It is difficult to compare occupational therapists to nurses because they have different roles. Nurses have extremely emotionally taxing work, and they provide so many different skills and tasks necessary for a hospital to run smoothly, while occupational therapists are highly specialized.

Becoming an occupational therapist is hard work, but it's worth it. I recommend that you start planning as early as possible. If you start really focusing on good grades, high GRE scores, and impressive volunteer work, you'll have a better chance at being accepted to the school(s) of your choice.

For many students (myself included), gross anatomy, neuroscience/neuroanatomy, and kinesiology are typically the hardest of the classes. These courses are almost always in the beginning, which helps ensure that admitted students can handle the rigors of graduate school.

Being an Occupational Therapist can be stressful as they often face heavy workloads, emotionally challenging situations, and physical demands while working with clients. Balancing multiple cases, meeting deadlines, and witnessing slow progress can also contribute to stress.

The COTA pass rate indicates that the exam is indeed challenging. Not studying for the exam would be a mistake. On the other hand, with a focused study plan, passing the exam on the first try is very doable. What makes it a rigorous test is both the questions' format and the exam's length.

Physical therapists need a doctorate degree accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, which can take about three years to complete. Occupational therapists need at least a master's degree to practice (about two years).

Unfortunately, many cities are saturated with OTs, and other locations simply don't have that many OT jobs. You might be the best OT on earth, but you cannot earn more than what the market can support.

Most OT schools have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, but more competitive programs might have an even higher minimum.

The majority of Occupational Therapist PRN salaries across the United States currently range between $64,500 (25th percentile) and $93,000 (75th percentile) annually.

Do grades matter in occupational therapy school? ›

Minimum GPA

in occupational therapy program traditionally must hold a cumulative 3.0 GPA to gain admission. Applicants must submit official transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate, and professional institutions.

I would say, yes it has it's challenges, but what was hard was not say the exams, or labs. For me, it was writing assignments and the final manuscript. Of course, writing is a skill, and one challenge is that in OT school, you learn to write like an OT which means being clear and concise.

With the increasing expected job growth (12%) for occupational therapists, finding the perfect job doesn't mean you have to reside in your current state. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranks occupational therapy as the fourth best health care job and as #19 in best jobs in America in 2024.

Occupational therapist assistants frequently:

Walk or run for long periods of time. Repeat the same movements. Bend or twist their body. Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

The Occupational Information Network, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, recently released its list of the most stressful jobs in the United States, and five of the top 30 are nurses.

As with many occupations in the medical field, being employed as an occupational therapist occasionally entails directly dealing with disturbing and heavy cases. These cases can leave individuals stressed out and unable to separate professional lives from personal ones.

Anatomy and Physiology, often referred to as A&P, is widely regarded as one of the most challenging classes in nursing. In this course, students embark on a journey through the intricate world of human anatomy and physiology.

Health care providers, especially physicians who refer clients for OT services, perceive occupational therapists as vital rehabilitation team members; however, they are unsure of the specific role, practice domains, and scope of OT practice.