How to become an occupational therapy technical instructor: Amy's story

Meet Amy, who works alongside occupational therapists to help ill, injured or elderly people to be as independent as possible. Part of the BBC Bitesize World of work series.

Watch Amy's story on BBC Bitesize Careers

About three years ago, I became unwell myself with my mental health and I had a lot of input from an occupational therapy team... I thought, it's been a huge positive impact on my own recovery, I'm going to have a look into everything they do.

  • Amy works for the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust in an occupational therapy (OT) team. OTs work with patients for many different reasons, such as helping them adapt after major surgery or helping patients with mental health difficulties or learning disabilities with everyday activities like work or volunteering.
  • Amy's department assess patients' functioning, such as fine motor skills (anything you do with your fingers or hands) and gross motor skills (like climbing the stairs or keeping your balance). They try to find solutions to help patients who are having difficulties live as independently as possible.
  • Amy started volunteering in an OT team after occupational therapy helped her recovery when she was struggling with her mental health. From her volunteering experience, she was able to apply for the OT technical instructor role when the vacancy opened.
  • Having worked across occupational therapy and nursing roles for the past two years and loved both, she recently secured a position in a new role called an apprentice nursing associate, which bridges the gap between registered nurses and nursing assistants.
  • She recommends volunteering as a great way to get a sense of exactly where your passion lies and which role could suit you best.

Find salary and qualification information on BBC Bitesize Careers