Continuing Education Programs for Occupational Therapists

An occupational therapist is a healthcare worker who helps ill or disabled patients in recovering physically and/or emotionally through a series of productive or creative activities. This person also evaluates tasks performed by patients and implements treatment plans and programs to make it possible for them to accomplish the most basic day-to-day tasks. If you are having trouble managing your daily activities then an occupational therapist can help you.

Continuing education courses for occupational therapists can be found online as well as in universities and campuses in the physical world. Online continuing education courses for occupational therapists can provide a convenient and versatile means of keeping up with what is current as well as improving your skills.

There are four things that you must think carefully about when you look for the best occupational education program for your needs. Course relevance is a consideration, as is certification, course schedules and fees. Most occupational therapists in the country must join a certification agency once they have graduated from university. These agencies then monitor those in the profession carefully and set a requirement for continuing education. The CE courses are necessary for the healthcare professional to maintain their certification. While the requirements vary from one area to another, all states require that occupational therapists complete a specific number of CE hours per year.

The very best online CE program offers courses that are pertinent to the area that the therapist presently works in or the subject matter that the individual hopes to branch into. For this reason you should search for courses that focus in on the aspects of occupational therapy that are most significant to you. Always read the course descriptions from start to finish. Do not register for a course that does not require reference material or one that is very vague about what the course will be about. Look for clarity in every course that you sign up for.

Find out if the course is accredited and recognized by the certification organization for the region you reside in. Courses at schools that are not accredited or are not recognized will not meet your region’s CE requirements and will not help you with the renewal of your license. You will need to provide a detailed course outline, as well as a lesson plan and syllabus to the certification organization in your state.

Some online continuing education courses for occupational therapists to look at include those found at the University of Phoenix, DeVry University, Penn Foster Career School, Liberty University Online, Strayer University and Kaplan University. OnlineCE is an industry leader in terms of online CE courses for Allied Health Professionals. Once you register with this website the first hour is free.

Another excellent place to seek out CE courses if you are an occupational therapist is HandCredits.com. This website offers courses that specialize in upper extremity rehabilitation and hand therapy. Selected courses at HandCredits.com are approved by The American Occupational Therapy Association. To be the best occupational therapist you can be you need to keep up with your skills. Online continuing education courses can help you to do just that.