Occupational therapist Carolyn Kelly, left, with patient Nicole Fenton at the Nova Scotia Rehab Centre in Halifax. (Christian LaForce / Staff)

Carolyn Kelly's life changed forever this summer when she travelled to the Middle East to help improve the lot of sick and injured young people.

The Halifax occupational therapist was the lone Canadian on an international team that spent two weeks criss-crossing Jordan setting up wheelchairs for more than 150 children.

"It was a life-altering experience," she said in an interview from her office at the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre in Halifax where she works to help sick and injured Nova Scotians put their lives back together.

The Middle East journey is just one example of how Ms. Kelly's career as an occupational therapist has allowed her to travel and to bring good things into people's lives, she said.

"It's a challenging job," she said. "You needed to really care about people. You have to be creative, energetic and a real problem-solver."

To develop treatment plans and programs to help people with physical or mental handicaps reintegrate into the community, good occupational therapists are constantly looking at new research and the latest cutting-edge solutions, she said.

It would not be a good job for someone who likes routine, she said. To learn more about occupational therapy as a career, read on.

Occupational therapists help people with physical and mental disabilities live independent lives and perform day-to-day activities. They assess what a client can do and would be able to do after therapy. They then work with the client to develop a treatment plan and implement it in the client's home or workplace. They may also design programs for the community or conduct research. Depending on the situation, their clients may be individuals, groups, agencies or organizations. Occupational therapists are required to keep clinical and statistical records and may supervise occupational therapist assistants.

SKILLS
To work in occupational therapy, you must have a genuine and sensitive interest in people and their ability to achieve. You must be able to communicate effectively with people and demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility, good judgment, patience and self-discipline.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
You must have a science degree in occupational therapy. As of 2010, a master's degree will be the minimum requirement to practise in Canada. To practise in Nova Scotia, you must also successfully complete the national certification examination for occupational therapists and be licensed by the College of Occupational Therapists of Nova Scotia.

WORK PROSPECTS
The occupational therapist workforce in Nova Scotia is one of the youngest among health professionals, with an average age of 35, and is predominantly female (83 per cent). Although most occupational therapists are employed in urban hospital settings, it is expected that there will be a shift toward community-based practices and more self-employed occupational therapists. Job growth has also been influenced by increasing acceptance of rehabilitation as a practical alternative to long-term care in institutions. The role of occupational therapists is expanding to include mental outpatient service delivery and continuing-care services.

The slow growth of private practice listings in Nova Scotia is perhaps linked to the lack of comprehensive private health insurance coverage for occupational therapy services. Despite this, job prospects remain good.

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