Life as an Occupational Therapist at Cypress Hospital – Ellie

Ellie’s favourite things about being an OT at Cypress Hospital:

Autonomous working

I enjoy the freedom of making the job my own. If I want to plan a group or activity, I simply need to do the research, which is all evidence-based.

Generous holiday allowance and pay

The holiday is great and for a band 5 the pay is a perk!

Trips out with patients

Going to nice places with patients such as having a day at the beach or museums and seeing people in normal environments and not just in the hospital.

The food and eating with patients

With cooks in the kitchen the food is a bonus! One of my favourite things is that staff eat with the patients which helps to build a better rapport.

Having a say on the service

I’ve worked a lot on the service development which is encouraged by the manager. It’s also great for personal development.

CPD (Continued Professional Development)

There’s lots of training and CPD opportunities. For example, the other day we went to the OT Show which would come under that. OT’s love CPD!

The different types of Occupational Therapy Ellie provides:

• Gaining and maintaining ADL skills (Activities of Daily Living) such as cooking and personal care.
• Opportunity to engage in meaningful occupations.
• Graded exposure to help patients overcome anxieties.
• Conducting a variety of ward and community-based assessments.
• Being an advocate for patients when needed.

The most rewarding experiences as an OT:

It sounds like such an obvious answer but seeing the progress patients make during their time on the ward. Seeing patients being discharged home from hospital and knowing you have played a role in preparing them for that is very rewarding.

Ellie’s OT life hack:

“MY OT life hack is to start my day by writing a daily to-do list. A list helps me to stick to time frames which helps in being more productive. Not only is it beneficial for my workplace but it also helps reduce my stress levels.”