After a busy week at the OT Exchange last week, there was one thing I am sure of – the OT Nerd spirit is alive and well! Despite the many challenges we face within our caseloads, and even with rates of burnout and resignation higher than anyone would like, there are still many OTs out there who love what they do. And often, they’re OT Nerds.

Firstly, here’s the unofficial dictionary meaning of OT Nerd:

Now keep reading to find out more about OT Nerds, and why they are the best OTs!

1.OT Nerds empower themselves.

They realise that before they can help anyone else, they need to help themselves. If they want the headspace and time to work on all the other skills essential to being a good OT, they need to start with strong self-management skills. This includes practical things like good time management and caseload management, but also being savvy with choosing the right job that will align with their values. Where you will feel valued, even if the systems we work within don’t help you feel that way. OT Nerds also empower themselves through making time for learning they want to do, not just what they have to do. And yes, it does take a conscious decision to make time – because I’ve never met an OT with ‘spare time.’

2.OT Nerds think like an OT.

This means they don’t just look for quick wins or hacks; they go back to a solid OT process that starts with function. They identify a functional issue, gather information comprehensively, test possible solutions and evaluate their work to make sure it made a difference. They see themselves as more than just ‘people who write letters to get people stuff’ because they appreciate the underlying process and clinical reasoning that went into what looked like a ‘simple’ solution. Once they see it, they are better at explaining that value to their clients and colleagues, and they feel more appreciated as a result.

3.OT Nerds are proud to be OT Nerds!

They aren’t scared of research evidence, and they secretly get excited when someone mentions ‘Journal Club’. But they also understand that being an evidence-based practitioner is more than just finding and using research evidence; it’s about blending this with our own expertise, our clients’ values, and working within the resources we have available to us. Knowing how these factors shape our reasoning builds confidence in making different recommendations for clients with the same presentation, but different values and contexts, rather than feeling we can only follow pre-determined protocols.

4.OT Nerds connect and collaborate

The best outcomes come when we work collaboratively; with our clients, their families and the multidisciplinary team around us. OT Nerds value our clients’ lived experience and the expertise they bring to the decision-making process. We understand the role of different disciplines, and find ways to work together, even when it’s not the obvious or easy option, because we know the value it can bring.

5.OT Nerds are OT detectives

To suggest the right solutions, we need to ask the right questions. But it’s more than just asking questions; it’s about analysing the way people do their activities and exploring barriers and enablers within their environment. It’s about being aware of standardised assessment options, but feeling confident to push back when someone asks us to complete them when we know they aren’t appropriate.

6.OT Nerds solve problems and change lives

Because we’ve asked the right questions, and done much more information gathering that just asking questions, we propose solutions that work. Task simplification, assistive technology prescription, the right education at the right time, and even the art of writing the perfect report, are all tools we use to help our clients overcome functional difficulties. And for some, we don’t just make life a little bit better; for some, the impact we have is life-changing. Even when the solution we proposed seems simple from the outside, so often it was only proposed at all because an OT was involved.

7.OT Nerds teach and transform

Some OTs become expert clinicians, while some choose a different pathway and dedicate their time to teaching others. Whether it’s through supervising students, delivering webinars, or providing coaching and mentoring, there are so many ways that OT Nerds continue to have an impact, even when they are no longer seeing clients as their primary day-to-day job. Instead of just changing the lives of the clients they see themselves, they could be improving the lives of clients they will never meet, through teaching other clinicians how to be good OTs.

8.OT Nerds raise the bar

OT conferences are full of OT Nerds raising the bar! Whether it’s through sharing their work in a poster or presentation, displaying their innovations on an expo stand, or standing on stage representing committees, associations and advocacy movements. If you ever need to be inspired for what could be next in your own OT journey, make time to go to a conference.

If this article has inspired you to find your own inner OT Nerd, I’d love to hear from you! Share your OT Nerd story in the comments, or send me a DM – I’ll send you your own OT Nerd sticker and pen to start the conversation with other OTs.

P.S. And if you’d like to learn how to be a proud OT Nerd, this is exactly what I teach in my CPD memberships – the Alliance and Connector. Find out more here!

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