Should I Become an Occupational Therapist Or a Nurse?

Making the distinction between two similar healthcare options such as nursing and occupational therapy can be difficult. Becoming an occupational therapist might seem far more involved than becoming a nurse is as it requires a more extensive level of studying. Even so, this is not to say that occupational therapy is a more important position than nursing. Nursing can also be taken to such a degree that it equals the position of occupational therapist in this regard. Both are equally as essential in the workings of any healthcare institution, and none can be classified as more important that the other.

Below is a list of the pros and cons of being an occupational therapist as well as the pros and cons of being a nurse:

Occupational Therapist: Pros

• Occupational therapists are entitled to extremely competitive remuneration with base salaries ranging from $60000.00 to $76000.00 annually.
• There is an abundance of jobs available especially if you are suitably qualified
• Your work is one to one with patients, allowing you to focus fully on one specific detail or problem at a time without any outside interference.

Occupational Therapist: Cons

• You need to study at least a 4 year degree to become fully qualified, this is time consuming when you want to get out there and work
• You will often become emotionally attached to patients due to your one to one connection and consultations

The following list of pros and cons with regards to nursing are given by comparison to occupational therapists.

Nursing: Pros

• Your nursing studies are not as time consuming as opposed to studying occupational therapy. To become a fully qualified nurse, you would need to complete between 2 and 4 years of studies depending on what level you wish to take your studies and career to.
• There are many avenues you can follow after becoming a qualified nurse, such as becoming a pediatric nurse, an anesthetist nurse

Nursing: Cons

• Your salary would not be as competitive with your base salary starting in the region of about $32000.00 to $46000.00 annually, for nurses straight out of college. For occupational therapists straight out of college, the salary indicator is much higher.
• You have the possibility of becoming emotionally attached to patients as is the same with occupational therapists. This can be heart wrenching when those patients pass or are discharged.

 

In both cases of becoming a nurse and becoming an occupational therapist, you need to have a nurturing nature and a desire to want to help people. You might have to perform operations and tasks that are certainly less than desirable, but will ultimately benefit the patient in terms of comfort, health and physical ability.