Informational Interview

1. Informational Interview
Sarah Brophy
Occupational Therapist (PRN)
Myrtle Beach & Little River, SC
Interview Date: October 20, 2016
Question 1: Where is your place of employment?
Answer 1: I am currently working PRN (as needed) at several different places. All of
these are different settings. I work at Tidelands Health, in Myrtle Beach, and McLeod
Hospital, in Little River, SC. Both of these settings are a Hand Center. I also work for
Heritage Healthcare, who contracts therapy staff into different nursing homes in the
area.
Question 2: What training or education is required for this type of work?
Answer 2: Bachelors Degree followed by Masters/Doctorate Degree in Occupational
Therapy. CPR certification
Question 3: What personal qualities or abilities are important to being
successful?
Answer 3: PATIENCE!! Patience is a huge aspect of what I do. Therapists must be
knowledgeable about a variety of diagnoses such as stroke, osteoarthritis,
pneumonia/respiratory failure, and other orthopedic issues (involving
shoulder/knee replacements, tendon transfers, amputations, etc.). Therapist must
be caring and sympathetic—able to put yourself in your patient’s shoes and know
what is most important to them
Question 4: Are there internship or volunteer opportunities?
Answer 4: We do have a shadowing program where students can come observe a
therapist. These students are not allowed to actually do any hands-on treatment
with the patients but are able to assist with set-up, etc.
Question 5: What areas of knowledge are most important for advancement in
this field? What degrees? Certification?
Answer 5: Bachelors Degree followed by Masters/Doctorate Degree in Occupational
Therapy. CPR certification; Specialist certifications such as Neuro-muscular and CHT
(certified hand therapist) can also be obtained.
Question 6: If you were starting out again, would you do anything differently?
Answer 6: I don’t think so.
Question 7: What do you do on a typical day in this position?
Answer 7: As an occupational therapist, I am focused on assisting people back to
performing their normal daily activities. In the nursing home, I am focused on
whether or not the person can care for themselves (transfer in/out of bed, wash

2. their body, dress themselves, etc.). In the hand centers, I am focused on returning
the patient back to any activity that he/she is unable to participate in. This can
include daily activities as listed above but it also may be activities such as playing
golf, writing, returning to work, etc.
Question 8: How many hours do you typically work each week? Do you often
work in the evenings or weekends? Can you arrange your own hours?
Answer 8: I work an average of 36-40 hrs a week but this can easily vary when
working PRN as you are required to set your own schedule. Some of the hospitals
and nursing homes may require you to work maybe one weekend a month or every
6 weeks depending on how many other therapist are there to share the caseload.
Question 9: What part of this job do you find the most challenging or satisfying?
Answer 9: The part of the job that I find most satisfying is being able to help others. I
see patients who come in after an injury/surgery/medical complication (stroke,
heart attack, etc) who are barely able to care for themselves and then follow them
through the rehab process to the end where they are walking, performing all their
transfers, and able to perform their normal daily routine as if nothing ever
happened.
Question 10: Is there a demand for people in the occupational therapy field?
Answer 10: Yes; there is a high demand for our profession. We are able to work in
such a wide variety of settings (schools, hospitals, outpatient clinics, inpatient
hospitals, NICU, etc.) that you can easily find the setting that fits you best. With all
these settings, there is an abundance of jobs available.
Question 11: What are the problems you see working in this field?
Answer 11: Healthcare is always changing. There are constantly new rules and
requirements for insurance coverage and documentation, which requires you to be
able to adapt quickly.
Question 12: How would you evaluate the future of this career field? What areas
do you feel promise the most opportunity and growth?
Answer 12: I believe this field will continue to grow in the future as more and more
physicians realize the benefit of rehab and patient’s/their families see the changes
and discuss with others they know.
Question 13: What are the “hot issues” in this field?
Answer 13: Insurance payment; reimbursement
Question 14: Do you work closely with other individuals within the hospital? If
so, who?
Answer 14: I do, in both the hospital and nursing home. I work extremely close with
other therapy staff, including physical therapist and speech therapists. I also interact
with physicians (to discuss plan of care, complications, progression towards goals)

3. and RN/CNAs (to check medical stability of pt before seeing them and even assist
with transfers if the patient is more dependent)
Question 15: What special advice would you give a person entering in this field?
Answer 15: I would recommend shadowing in as many different settings as possible
in order to get an idea of what you are getting yourself into and where you would be
most comfortable.