Occupational therapy vs mental health nursing

[crazycrofter]

Could anyone give me some pros and cons in relation to these two options - I’d like to hear about what’s involved in the degree courses and also what it’s like once qualified.

Dd is in year 12, bright (all 8s and 9s last year) but also has a tendency to get overwhelmed with too much homework. Shes quite a slow worker. She’s academically able but not academically inclined, if that makes sense? She’s very empathetic, friendships have always been her highest priority and she’s fairly certain she wants to work in a caring role.

Having been around mental health problems and suffered a little herself, at the moment she likes the idea of working in a mental health setting (possibly with teenagers).

I’ve looked into it a bit and there seems to be a fair bit of overlap between the two professions when it comes to mental health, so she’s thinking she could do either route and possibly end up in the same place.

@Somuchchoice

crazycrofter, there is an occupational therapy virtual work experience session by Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Trust on Youtube from 1 week ago. Its only an hour long and might be useful for your DD? I haven't watched it yet but have bookmarked it to watch with my DD. I think we are looking at similar courses and you were kind enough to comment on my recent psychology thread .

Brilliant, thank you! I suggested Dd look with me at some stuff in the Easter holidays. She couldn’t understand the urgency but hopefully she’ll come round!

@May17th

Another vote for OT.

What about physio?

I don't think she could do physio - her only 'science' A Level is Psychology.

The NHS is very short of both roles so lots of jobs out there. I would just say that the career pathway in nursing including mental health nursing is clearer and more well defined. A lot of therapists in the NHS seem to get stuck post qualification as there are not many jobs, if any, at the next level up, in their trust or nearby trusts.

You do have to be incredibly resilient and compassionate to work in any mental health environment however.

My DD is in final year Occupational Therapy and one of her favourite placements was in Forensic Mental Health in a medium secure unit.

She didnt do A levels but a social and health care BTEC which she got 3x Distinctions *. She had a lot of experience with children with SEN. She had volunteered in a SEN playscheme from 12 and still works there in the holidays.
Also did work placement in a SEN school
Did Camp America twice in a mixed SEN camp
and because she did the BTEC she had a few placements in various settings including a day scheme for Alzheimer patients and a nursery

All the universities have interviews for Occupational Therapy and she got 4 offers out of the 5. The one who didnt give her an offer was the lowest rated, but she is at the highest ranked university for Occupational Therapy in the country
She graduates this year and applied for postgraduate jobs through the scheme which is bit like applying for schools and unis all over again and been offered her first choice job today

I’m an OT so can’t comment on nursing. I would say as an OT there may be more scope long term to shift the direction of your career but as I say I’ve no experience of mental health nursing so no idea what career paths are open to one.
I think OT is one of those careers you don’t have to leave if you dislike what you are doing because if you change settings from day mental health to physical it’s almost like a completely different job.

@misselphaba

It's true, SLT is very much female dominated. Even now, there are often entire cohorts of 50 students without any male students whatsoever! Unsurprisingly, men tend to rise up the ranks quicker.

If SLT is of any interest, I'm happy to offer any guidance I can.

My course cohort is down to around 30 now (a few people deferred a year in my group because of the covid situation) and we're all female in our year, think the year above is all female, and there's one male in the year below. The small numbers does make it incredibly close knit, and even the SLT community at large all seems to flipping know each other some days (and are really really mutually supportive).

My only science A level was psychology incidentally - but I did come into it from a teaching background. I thought I wanted to work paeds, but as the course goes on I'm being drawn more and more toward learning disabilities or mental health (or a combination of the two) - but options still massively open.