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What They Do
About This Career
Plans, directs, or coordinates medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. Activities include sports, trips, dramatics, social activities, and crafts. May assess a patient condition and recommend appropriate recreational activity.
This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.
A person in this career:
- Instructs patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.
- Conducts therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being.
- Plans, organizes, directs, and participates in treatment programs and activities to facilitate patients' rehabilitation, helps them integrate into the community, and prevents further medical problems.
- Observes, analyzes, and records patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
- Develops treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.
- Obtains information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.
- Confers with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programs.
- Counsels and encourages patients to develop leisure activities.
- Encourages clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities, such as sports, games, arts and crafts, and gardening.
- Prepares and submits reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
- Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
- Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Seeing clearly at a distance
- Seeing clearly up close
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
Work Hours and Travel
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- Recreational Therapy Program Coordinator
- Therapeutic Specialist
- Therapist
- Activities Coordinator
- Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS)
- General Activities Therapist
- Recreation Therapist
- Rehabilitation Therapist
- Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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