Occupational Therapist Interview Prep Guide

Discuss a comprehensive approach: visual scanning training, environmental modifications (placing food on the affected side), adaptive equipment (plate guards, weighted utensils), cueing strategies, and caregiver education. Demonstrate knowledge of both remedial and compensatory approaches and explain when you use each.

Explain that you verify patient consent for information sharing, use secure communication methods, share only relevant functional information, and document all communications. Discuss how you handle situations where patients lack capacity to consent and the role of healthcare proxies.

Show motivational interviewing skills and creativity. Describe how you identified the barrier (pain, depression, lack of understanding, cultural factors), adapted your approach to incorporate meaningful activities, built rapport, and gradually increased participation. Patient engagement is a core OT competency.

Walk through a comprehensive home safety assessment: environmental hazards, lighting, bathroom safety, transfer surfaces, medication effects on balance, and adaptive equipment recommendations. Include your approach to balance and strength training and how you educate patients and caregivers on fall prevention strategies.

Name specific tools relevant to your practice area: FIM for inpatient rehab, MoCA for cognitive screening, Barthel Index for ADL performance, COPM for client-centered goal setting. Explain how baseline scores guide treatment planning and how reassessment demonstrates functional progress for continued authorization.

Describe specific examples of interdisciplinary collaboration: coordinating with PT on mobility goals, working with SLP on cognitive-communication strategies during functional tasks, communicating with nursing about patient performance levels. Show that you understand each discipline role and how OT contributes uniquely.

Discuss job analysis, workplace modification recommendations, ergonomic assessment, adaptive technology, gradual return-to-work plans, and communication with employers. Show knowledge of ADA reasonable accommodation requirements and how you advocate for patients in workplace settings.

Demonstrate ethical reasoning aligned with AOTA Code of Ethics. Discuss advocating for the patient with objective functional data, communicating safety concerns to the care team and family, exploring alternative disposition options, and documenting your clinical reasoning. Show that patient safety guides your decisions even under administrative pressure.