Recreational Therapists
Health Science > Therapeutic ServicesProjected Growth: Faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Considerable Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Plan, direct, or coordinate medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. Activities include sports, trips, dramatics, social activities, and arts and crafts. May assess a patient condition and recommend appropriate recreational activity.
Common job titles of Recreational Therapists include:
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Experience and Education
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this occupation. For example, a person in this occupation must complete four years of college and work for several years in industry to be considered qualified.
88% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
8% said they needed a Master's Degree.
Tasks
Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients themselves to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.
Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.
Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.
Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.
Observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
Encourage clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities, such as sports, games, arts and crafts, and gardening.
Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being.
Plan, organize, direct, and participate in treatment programs and activities to facilitate patients' rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community, and prevent further medical problems.
Develop discharge plans for patients.
Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression.
Confer with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programs.
Tools
Wood carving tools
Water skis
Volleyballs
Therapeutic weight machines
Therapeutic treadmills
Tennis rackets
Softballs
All ToolsSnow skis
Skeet shooting equipment
Shuffleboard equipment
Recreational sailboats
Recreational rowboats
Racing wheelchairs
Pottery wheels
Pool cues
Ping pong paddles
Pianos
Personal computers
Patient hoists
Oil painting brushes
Motorized wheelchairs
Laptop computers
Kayaks
Headpointers
Harmonicas
Handbells
Golf clubs
Free weights
Footballs
Fluidotherapy equipment
Fishing poles
Exercise bicycles
Electronic metronomes
Electronic keyboards
Drum sets
Digital drumsticks
Digital cameras
Digital camcorders
Digital audio recorders
Desktop computers
Croquet sets
Compact disk CD players
Canoes
Bowling balls
Bicycles
Basketballs
Baseballs
Baseball bats
Audio tape recorders
Archery bows
Acoustic guitars
35 millimeter cameras
Technologies
Data entry software
Avid Technology Sibelius
Email software
Hyperscore
MakeMusic Finale
Musical instrument digital interface MIDI software
Patient electronic medical record EMR software
All TechnologiesSpeech recognition software
Steinberg Cubase Pro
Skills
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Abilities
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension