April is Occupational Therapy (OT) Month, a time to celebrate the occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students who work to improve the lives of their clients and families. Want to meet one of APD’s outstanding OTs? We asked Sara Fisher, OTR/L, a few questions about her work as an OT.
Q. How did you become interested in occupational therapy?
A. I knew that I wanted to be in a field working with people. I started looking into different rehab professions and along the way stumbled upon occupational therapy and loved the holistic aspect of our profession. Occupational therapy has such a large scope but truly focuses on the person as a whole and working with individuals to optimize their independence in the activities that matter most to them. This gives OTs the opportunity to be client-centered and truly make a difference in their client’s lives.
Q. How long have you worked at APD?
A. I started at the end of March 2023. I had the opportunity to be a student here for my final clinical rotation and loved the atmosphere enough to apply and come back for real.
Q. Do you have a specialty?
A. I don’t think I have had my toes in the water long enough to claim a specialty, but I am enjoying learning as I go between working on the Medical Surgical floor and doing ergonomics in outpatient.
Q. What do you like about working with patients?
A. I like that everyone is different. Every patient has their own story and background, and it is fun learning about them and being able to tie interests into sessions to make progress toward their goals.
Q. Share an OT success story.
A. I love seeing the reactions of patients when they notice their progress. The hospital is not necessarily somewhere people wish to be, and they come here sometimes at their lowest. Being able to work with patients and watching them transform from when they come in to when they discharge is pretty cool and rewarding for both parties.