Director of occupational therapy vs assistant director of nursing

The differences between directors of occupational therapy and assistant directors of nursing can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director of occupational therapy and an assistant director of nursing. Additionally, a director of occupational therapy has an average salary of $88,320, which is higher than the $82,674 average annual salary of an assistant director of nursing.

The top three skills for a director of occupational therapy include occupational therapy, patients and rehabilitation. The most important skills for an assistant director of nursing are patients, term care, and CPR.

Director of occupational therapy vs assistant director of nursing overview

	Director Of Occupational Therapy	Assistant Director Of Nursing
Yearly salary	$88,320	$82,674
Hourly rate	$42.46	$39.75
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	46,434	118,347
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Associate Degree, 47%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a director of occupational therapy do?

A director of occupational therapy oversees the occupational therapy programs and projects in a medical or health facility. They have the authority to direct operations from planning to execution, establish budgets and schedules, set goals and protocols, and develop strategies to deliver quality care to clients. Their duties also entail performing extensive research and assessments, developing treatment plans for clients, reviewing reports, and coordinating with fellow experts. Additionally, as a director, it is essential to lead employees and implement policies and standards to ensure efficient services.

What does an assistant director of nursing do?

An assistant director of nursing is responsible for administering quality care services for patients, supervising nursing activities, and ensuring the patients' comfort under the supervision of the director of nursing. Assistant directors of nursing assist with nursing staff training, distributing shift schedules, developing comprehensive nursing care plans, handling expense reports, identifying areas of improvement with the staff performance, and securing patients' medical charts for reference. An assistant director of nursing must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in handling patients' medical needs.

Director of occupational therapy vs assistant director of nursing salary

Directors of occupational therapy and assistant directors of nursing have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Occupational Therapy	Assistant Director Of Nursing
Average salary	$88,320	$82,674
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $137,000	Between $61,000 And $111,000
Highest paying City	-	Fairfield, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Waters
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between director of occupational therapy and assistant director of nursing education

There are a few differences between a director of occupational therapy and an assistant director of nursing in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Occupational Therapy	Assistant Director Of Nursing
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Associate Degree, 47%
Most common major	Occupational Therapy	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Director of occupational therapy vs assistant director of nursing demographics

Here are the differences between directors of occupational therapy' and assistant directors of nursing' demographics:

	Director Of Occupational Therapy	Assistant Director Of Nursing
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%	Male, 11.5% Female, 88.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between director of occupational therapy and assistant director of nursing duties and responsibilities

Director of occupational therapy example responsibilities.

Manage PPS details efficiently to ensure high quality clinical care while maximizing reimbursement for the facility.
Develop independent living program for adult rehabilitation patients in preparation for discharge.
Addressed Medicare denials for all customers.
Prepare for JCAHO and CARF surveys.
Full procedure manual written base on CARF guidelines.
Recruit, train and supervise a cohesive staff of COTA's.

Assistant director of nursing example responsibilities.

Manage care for all residents, ICF and SNF.
Evaluate operational performance consistently achieving excellent JCAHO accreditation.
Assist with managing daily facility operations, including patient care, staff supervision and logistical oversight.
Work to ensure regulatory compliance by conduction mock surveys, interviewing patients and randomly assessing medical records.
Complete newly-required HCFA MDS, and coordinated/chair all interdisciplinary care plan meetings to maintain HCFA regulatory compliance.
Administer BLS training for license staff.

Director of occupational therapy vs assistant director of nursing skills

Common director of occupational therapy skills

Occupational Therapy, 17%
Patients, 13%
Rehabilitation, 9%
Home Health, 8%
COTA, 8%
Program Development, 7%

Common assistant director of nursing skills

Patients, 17%
Term Care, 11%
CPR, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Quality Care, 5%
Resident Care, 5%

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Director Of Occupational Therapy
Director Of Occupational Therapy vs Assistant Director Of Nursing

Updated January 8, 2025

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