Other OT-Related Information OT and Splinting~~~

[OT1224]

Hello,

I have volunteered in two settings. In outpatient hand therapy setting - lots of splinting. In inpatient rehab - occasional splinting.

I am fascinated by splint-making. This probably came from my love for handcraft works (drawing, sculpting, woodworks, etc).

I'm asking the second question because I tend to focus the best when I am silent. It would be awkward for me to be quiet in front of the patient while I took several minutes to make the splint. If I could, I would huddle in a room just making splint hours at a time! (Like hospital requested splints). I heard about a lady in the rehabilitation center I work at that does splinting specifically. It would be great if I could spend a great amount each day just creating requested splints.

In the outpatient hand therapy center, the OT work on hands while sitting across from the the patient. If I do patient interactions, I do not want to spend the whole time sitting down. I want to get up and move around! I do not want to be a hand therapist if it requires me to sit across the table with the patient the whole day.

1. Which settings do OT make splints most often?
2. Does splint making always require the patient to be there? (Or can I make them small/medium/large size rather than tailored to a person?)
3. Is there a certification I could get for splinting without becoming a hand therapist?

Thank you.

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[cb31]

Hello,

I have volunteered in two settings. In outpatient hand therapy setting - lots of splinting. In inpatient rehab - occasional splinting.

I am fascinated by splint-making. This probably came from my love for handcraft works (drawing, sculpting, woodworks, etc).

I'm asking the second question because I tend to focus the best when I am silent. It would be awkward for me to be quiet in front of the patient while I took several minutes to make the splint. If I could, I would huddle in a room just making splint hours at a time! (Like hospital requested splints). I heard about a lady in the rehabilitation center I work at that does splinting specifically. It would be great if I could spend a great amount each day just creating requested splints.

In the outpatient hand therapy center, the OT work on hands while sitting across from the the patient. If I do patient interactions, I do not want to spend the whole time sitting down. I want to get up and move around! I do not want to be a hand therapist if it requires me to sit across the table with the patient the whole day.

1. Which settings do OT make splints most often?
2. Does splint making always require the patient to be there? (Or can I make them small/medium/large size rather than tailored to a person?)
3. Is there a certification I could get for splinting without becoming a hand therapist?

Thank you.

1. Splinting is like the one thing that is pretty much exclusively OT. Even if you arent making them, in certain settings people just expect you to know about splinting. I would say in regards to making them constantly that would be a hand therapist. But I have a profesor who works in a nursing home that has made them before (when needed).

2. If you are making a custom splint, you absolutely must have the patient there, and as an OT if you are making a splint its custom bc if its not custom then the client can just go to like rite aid or walgreens to buy the generic one. It's really not that awkward to be quiet while splinting... But as you become a pro you will most likely be able to multitask.

3. Idk about the last question. Like I said if you are constantly making splints you are probably a hand therapist (or working on becoming a hand therapist), but OT is in a lot of areas so if you do some digging Im sure you can find another area where they also make splints. I know if you are an OT in a burn unit u make really alloborate splints.

And as a hand therapist you definitely will just be sitting across from the patient all day. Its not as bad as you think tho bc you can just converse with them.

Anyway, hope this helps!

 

[beestrng]

CHTs working in workers comp clinics are going to be doing a lot of splints. CHT I have seen in busy outpatient did a couple a week. Neuro did a couple. I did a lot of pan splints lol.

Seen SNFs use premade orthotics or have an OP guy come over and adjust stuff.