Jane Blair - occupational therapist

“Every day in this job is different,” says Jane Blair. “I meet new people all the time and I’m constantly learning.”

Jane is a hospital based occupational therapist working on a medical ward with people who have come in with acute conditions. “For each person, I do an assessment to make sure that they can get back home safely and manage at home after their visit to hospital. I’m the first occupational therapist they have contact with. If they need further help they are then referred to other teams involved in rehabilitation and community support.

“I can work with people ranging from those who have had strokes or frail, elderly people through to those who have had surgery.

“Every person is a challenge because they are all unique. It means you need good people skills to work out what their needs are and be able to communicate with them in a way that encourages them to work with you.”

Jane discovered occupational therapy at a school careers day. “I was looking for something that would involve working with people and in the health industry.” After spending time with an occupational therapist, Jane enrolled on a degree course in occupational therapy. “The best part was the practical placements. They really made the theory make sense. The course was very enjoyable and rewarding.”

Before taking on her current role, Jane got her first job as a community occupational therapist. “That was quite different to this role because I was visiting people in their own homes, and their needs were different as their problems were not acute.”

The wide range of settings and people that an occupational therapist can work with is one of the main attractions for Jane. “There are so many directions that you can take and plenty of scope for specialisation, but for now I am enjoying the challenge and variety that my current role brings.”