Description
Occupational therapists develop individual and group programs with people affected by illness, injury, developmental disorders, emotional or psychological problems and aging to maintain, restore or increase their ability to care for themselves and to engage in work, school or leisure. They also develop and implement health promotion programs with individuals, community groups and employers. They are employed in health care facilities, in schools, and by private and social services agencies, or they may be self-employed.
Job Titles
- Case manager occupational therapist
- Clinical occupational therapist
- Community occupational therapist
- Occupational therapist (OT)
- Occupational therapy rehabilitation consultant
- Research and development occupational therapist
Main Duties
- Analyse clients’ capabilities and expectations related to life activities through observation, interviews and formal assessments
- Develop intervention programs to address clients’ needs related to self-care, work and leisure activities
- Maintain clients’ records
- Establish personalized care plans working as a member of an interdisciplinary team
- Consult and advise on health promotion programs to prevent disabilities and to maximize independent function in all activities of life
- May supervise support personnel and students and provide training.
Workplaces
- Health care facilities
- Private and social services agencies
- Schools
- Self-employed
Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Evaluation
- Instructing
- Learning and Teaching Strategies
- Monitoring
Abilities
- Fluency of Ideas
- Inductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Problem Identification
- Verbal Ability
Personal Attributes
- Adaptability
- Concern for Others
- Independence
- Service Orientation
- Active Learning
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be Good for occupational therapists (NOC 31203) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
- Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about Occupational therapists in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 50 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
- Occupational therapists mainly work in the following sectors:
- Hospitals (NAICS 622): 56%
- Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 32%
- Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 10%
- 80% of occupational therapists work all year, while 20% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 45 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: less than 5% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: more than 95% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: n/a
- high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: n/a
- bachelor’s degree: 50% compared to 17% for all occupations
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 40% compared to 8% for all occupations
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $36.00 | $39.46 | $47.56 |
| Canada | $36.17 | $46.00 | $55.00 |
Training
| TRAINING PROGRAM | INSTITUTION | CREDENTIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology | Holland College | Diploma |
| Kinesiology | UPEI | Undergraduate |
| Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant | Holland College | Diploma |