An occupational therapist helps people who are having difficulty performing simple tasks needed for everyday living. As a result, many occupational therapy internships are available with home health care agencies. Student internships may also be found in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Some people may gain work experience by performing internships at a hospital, where they will work with patients who are preparing for their release. Programs may be paid or unpaid internships, and could be full-time or part-time.
Home health care agencies often have occupational therapy internships available. When working in this capacity, individuals may visit patients' homes along with a licensed professional in order to receive on-the-job training. One task an intern may do is to evaluating a patient's home to see if there can be modifications made to help that individual. This could include installing special equipment or rearranging furniture to allow walkers or wheelchairs to be used.
Some people may have difficulty performing tasks such as dressing themselves or eating. People who are enrolled in occupational therapy internships at a hospital or rehabilitation center might be asked to help with these issues. This could be done by helping them gain the strength and flexibility needed to accomplish these tasks or by teaching them to use special tools to perform their everyday routines.
An occupational therapy internship could also be done at a nursing home or assisted living facility. In this capacity, an intern may be asked to help residents learn to bathe, dress themselves, or perform other self-care tasks. This type of program may be overseen by the director of the facility, with training conducted by an on-site therapist who is typically familiar with the individual needs of each person being assisted.
Occupational therapy internships vary in length. Some may be summer internships which last two to three months, while others are only two to four weeks. They could be full-time programs which require students to do volunteer work four or five days a week or part-time internships where people receive on-the-job training one or two days a week. Most are unpaid internships, especially if college credit is being given in exchange for the opportunity for career development.
People who are pursuing a degree in occupational therapy may want to complete an internship before they graduate. Doing so can give them a good working knowledge of the methods used in this career field. A student internship can also help an individual make contacts in the industry, which could become useful when it is time to look for full-time work.
