Occupational therapy is a practice that works on an individual’s day-to-day life skills and makes necessary adjustments to them to enhance their way of life. It is an ideal profession for those who want to bring about positive changes in the lives of others. However, like every other profession, continuing education in occupational therapy is a requirement not only for us to maintain our license but also to keep abreast of the latest evidence-based strategies. So, in this blog, we will discuss various aspects of continuing education, including requirements, types, and required topics.
Occupational therapy continuing education can be challenging to grasp as the requirement varies from state to state. While, there are multiple podcasts, workshops, and text-based courses available to help OTs meet the requirements for continuing education in occupational Therapy, there is some confusion about the number of CEUs (Continuing Education Units) required in a particular state, the topics that need to be covered, and the acceptable formats. To make things more complicated the requirements vary depending on the state you live in, and how recently you may have graduated.
According to NBCOT (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy), an individual must complete 24 continuing education contact hours each renewal period to maintain the licensure period. However, when it comes to state OT CEU requirements, it varies from state to state. It can range between 18 to 34 credit hours every two years, depending on the state an individual is placed in. These requirements keep on getting updated regularly.
For example, in New Mexico, there was a requirement of 20 OT continuing education hours annually. However, this was recently revised, and starting February 24, 2022, the requirement is now 15 continuing education contact hours annually. Therefore, as an OT, it is important to keep tabs on the changes in the state requirements on a regular basis.
Types of CEU
When discussing occupational therapy continuing education online, it is essential to understand its various types. One can enroll in an online continuing education course, read articles, attend workshops or listen to the podcast to meet their CEU requirements. However, as mentioned earlier, it is always a good idea to check in with your state OT laws because there may be a limit to the number of hours obtained within each category and type of continuous education courses.
Must have CEU topics
Each state varies in its specifications for subject matter requirements, so it’s important to review the specific guidelines for each state and stay up to date with the current trends. Some of the most common subjects that are required in courses are-
· Ethics
· Sexual Harassment
· Pain management
· Implicit bias training
· Medical errors
· Human Trafficking
· Suicide prevention
· Telehealth
How Dr. Aditi, the OT, Can Help?
With a mission to provide low-cost, valuable resources, Dr. Aditi, the OT, is dedicated to empowering you as an OT. One of the main differentiating factors about Dr. Aditi’s courses is that they are always based on the latest evidence-based strategies and always leave the audience with easy-to-implement direct actionable items and resources. For example, Dr. Aditi’s course on The Pediatric Hand Explained offers strategies on building fluency in fine motor tasks, which can not only be implemented the next day into OT practice, but she also offers the resources to help you achieve this goal.
