Any Occupational Therapists on here that have changed career?

[PrancingQueen]

That’s it really, I’m burnt out!

Can you work in a different area / setting? Just about to go into a session but will be back in a while!

Sorry, meant to add changed to what? Obviously.

Thanks @ineedsun
I’ve worked in quite a few areas throughout my career, but I really fancy a change.
I’ve worked in social care, acute medicine, hand therapy as well as other areas, every time I’ve taken a step back as I’ve had to learn a whole new setting (despite having the transferable skills).
Maybe I should locum for a while to try other settings before committing.

I was a Physio and have totally changed my career (but still work in a healthcare setting). Happy to share info if you are interested but appreciate you might want OT specific info!

I have two OT friends who have changed direction using their qualifications.

One is a manager of a charity group.
The other is a Family Therapist.

Both better conditions but less money.

There are so many jobs I want to apply for but can't as Im a teacher and not an OT/Social worker/nurse. They always seem to want one of those!

Trying to think what but there's so much variety in OT. Theres a recovery Education college locally I would like to have worked in, but can't! And theres multidisciplinary roles too.

I always wished Id been an OT as there seemed so much variety and focus on wellbeing.

Watching with interest OP, I'm a burnt out OT too. I don't think I want to work directly with patients/families anymore, just had enough. So much worse of late, post Covid. On the whole, people are so demanding and ungrateful.

Oh gosh. I've just applied for a job working with parents....

Will watch this thread for inspiration!

Burnt out OT here too! I mostly worked in mental health in the NHS but now work in higher education. There are lots of posts in Universities that welcome an OT qualification such as disability adviser posts. Might be worth a look.

I’m not an OT, but several of the case managers who send me referrals are ex-OTs. Seems like a nice job and they often have a great relationships with the families and young people they work with. Would this be an option?

Ooh there's a send case manager job locally is that the kind of thing you mean?

Yep, left the NHS after 15 years, did some self employed work while gradually moving towards outdoor OT work. Now run a therapeutic gardening group (social prescribing).

Wow that sounds great tatyr!

Lots of gardening going on in schools too PileOfBooks ! It's not without its stresses, but being outside and working with nature is a vast improvement (and funnily enough very retro OT).
But no-one should underestimate burnout, and of you don't look out for yourself, no-one else will.

I accompanied a relative to a small residential psych unit out of area that wasn't run like our giant hsopital - more of an intentional community /occasionally they cooked together type of thing. It was amazing. They had a garden and the most amazing OT art room that was nothing like our local provision. It was come and go access too
My relative made so much progress it far better - I would have loved to have worked there.

I was gutted when they closed it!.

I run a wellbeing group that is part run by park rangers and I love it. But I am paid in peanuts!

I was an OT for 21 years, I now work as a TA with secondary school students with ALN. The pay is terrible but the holidays work well as a single parent. My plan is to move into FE when my dd is older and either complete training to become an NVQ assessor or a pgce in Health & Social care.

Locum might be an idea if you want to stay but loads of other suggestions here.

What bits of the work do you enjoy?

Thanks for all the replies!
Lots to think about here.
I’m drowning in piles of admin in my current post and my client contact is minimal which is frustrating (although the team is fantastic).

@Howsyourfather I’d be very interested to hear what you do now if you don’t mind sharing.

@Biscuitandacuppa I’m a single parent too. Had to leave the NHS due to weekend working and no childcare, and am now in social care again. Great for flexibility but too much admin and minimal client contact.
I’m thinking LSA for a child with additional needs too!

Ive just locumed aa an OT for the first time . Its been really hard with lityle training as your expected to get on with it . I left a stressed job and ended up in another sadly . Im now trying another area of my locum job which i hope will be better but not convinced . Then i will look to do something else . Good luck

I attend an osteopathy training clinic when I get the odd back twinge, and nearly all the students already have a career. Over the years there have been police officers, but the majority already work in some sort of heath care setting.

Would you be able to retrain while still working? The osteopathy school I go to offer full time and part time courses. Once qualified, you could rent rooms somewhere, set your own hours and be self-employed.

A few have gone on and trained in animal osteopathy too.

I'm unsure of the training, but some other ideas:

• health and safety advisor/officer
• CPR / 1st aid trainer
• Mandatory trainer (safe lifting, fire safety, food hygiene etc)

I was a burnt out Speech and Language Therapist and left to work for a private company called Healios which does online autism assessments. There are lots of OT’s working there and some teachers. The company is expanding rapidly so its worth checking the job pages. I love it, its all online working from home, with plenty of patient contact and manageable admin loads.

Of course

I went to work for the dreaded CQC for a while as an inspector then moved back to provider-side as Head of Patient Safety and Quality. I’ve since changed to a more governance orientated job and am training to become a company secretary. Once I’ve done my training, the opportunities and earning potential are amazing.

Other friends of mine are doing benefits assessment roles (wouldn’t recommend) and working as case managers