Many clinicians will unknowingly sign on with less-than-ideal companies because of the draw to high pay rates. Whether a new grad with huge loans or a seasoned clinician with some debt to pay off, I hear many clinicians say “I will do this or that for a few years just to get ahead.”

Unfortunately, during those few years of “getting ahead,” you grow accustomed to making that wage and it becomes the norm for you. That is when we run into people who really don’t like their jobs but are either unwilling or unable to make a financial change to improve the true problem.

Our recruiters and managers have the important job of helping candidates make decisions for the right reasons and not based on finances alone. We help by talking through questions like these:

- Can you see yourself in the environment on a daily basis?
- Are you comfortable with the level of supervision?
- Is the company culture a fit with your values?
- Are you comfortable with the productivity expectations/caseload?
- Are the training and development (mentoring) opportunities what you’re looking for?
- Are you comfortable with the direction of the therapy department and philosophy of treatment decisions?

I ask people all the time why they became a therapist. ANd never is the answer because I wanted to get rich doing it. Most people were drawn to the discipline to help other people. Make sure you’re thinking through your original goals when making job decisions. Don’t lose focus by the enticement of dollar signs.

As a clinician, I too need to make a good living and support a family, which I do. But my real job satisfaction comes from seeing the change people make in their lives with my assistance. I feel that with the right company, you too can find that balance in your professional career.

A couple different groups of walkers participated, and Furble the dog joined in too. RehabVisions’ home office is fortunately set in a lovely neighborhood with shade trees and lots of hills.

Though we had a good team walking, some people like Recruiter Don Briganti chose to run instead.

And Senior Accountant Karen Ryman hit the treadmill in the workout room.

The Human Resources department encouraged the activity with healthy snacks and water in the kitchen. The water was really appreciated on this hot day. Director of Operations Tracy Milius, OT with HR Assistant Keri Westcott Schaffer and CEO Joel Larmore, PT look flushed after this Noon-time jaunt.

Furble, for one, was glad to be back in the air conditioning.

This recent article from PT Advance speaks to the need for personal “branding” and the importance of having an online strategy.

When this article crossed my desk, I thought “I could not have said it better myself.”

Comparing Therapy Models in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Perhaps the biggest benefit to seeing someone in their assisted living home is experiencing exactly what functional challenges that patient faces every day. We get to train them in the environment they actually use. We train them on how to best manipulate their own stairs or bathroom; assess what obstacles they face when walking or manuevering their wheelchair; see their home layout and which exercises can best be done in certain locations.

Another major advantage to assisted living therapy is the opportunity to interact directly with caregivers–family or facility staff. The improved carryover is immediately evident when patients and caregivers can do tasks exactly as they have been trained with the therapist. It is this carryover that makes the success of the community-based treatment worth the travel time. Ultimately, the patient’s best interest has been served.

Physical Therapy and the Camaraderie of Healing by Caitlin Kelly

Throughout RehabVisions, we have professionals working in a variety of settings presenting a variety of strengths and interests.

No matter what setting, involvement, both internally and externally, is a key to success.

Internally, it is important to be involved and to be visible within your facility. Know your administration and their expectations. Attend regular meetings. Volunteer for committees. Always be willing to tell the story of your department and its successes. Good communication is fundamental.

Externally, it is important to be involved within the community you serve. Give presentations or in-services to local civic, school or senior groups. Present or volunteer at local health fairs. Speak to local schools or colleges regarding the therapy profession. Assist with health or athletic screenings. Volunteer or assist with causes and organizations that you believe in.

The more visible you are, the more attention you may attract to your facility. These types of contacts help to present your department in a positive light and help to give it credibility within your community.

But it’s not all about what this involvement can do for your facility. Think about the personal and professional growth that can be gained from such experiences. Consider this your challenge for 2012. Go out and get involved!

Brandon is an 11-year employee of RehabVisions. He coaches various recreational sports for his kids including soccer,
basketball, baseball and football. He has served as the athletic trainer for the local high school teams for the last 5 years and is part of the Optimist Club.

The AlterG is a revolutionary Anti-Gravity Treadmill. The concept of unweighing to facilitate a faster, more effective, recovery of rehab patients has been around for many years. Many of us have been fortunate enough to work in facilities that offer aquatic rehab or advanced harness unweighing capabilities.

The AlterG provides therapists with an opportunity to leverage technology in order to enhance patient outcomes. Modifying research initially generated by NASA, the AlterG allows you to work with a patient in a range from 20 to 100 percent of their body weight. This incredible technology has far-reaching implications for a wide variety of patients with varying orthopedic or neurological problems.

Patient set-up time is typically three minutes to get “zipped in,” and therapists can change the percent of weight bearing in one percent increments. The degree of unweighing can be set to the level in which the patient can perform the specific activity pain-free or in a more normal coordinated sequence.

Forward and backward walking/running, hopping, jumping and a limitless number of proprioceptive exercises can be completed by the patient. This also provides the therapist with an additional documentation advantage to precisely describe improvement in weight bearing status as patients progress toward their ultimate goals.

You can learn much more about the AlterG here. We’re excited to incorporate this cutting-edge technology into our current hands-on practice.

Steve Finn, PT, DPT, OCS

It has been a mighty long time
Since this old buckaroo
Has seen fit to put his foot
On the inside of a shoe.

Now he has a therapist
Who is pushing mighty hard
To change his mode of footwear
But I don’t think so pard.

He thinks it will help my balance
And give me Happy Feet
And if I wear Nikes or some such shoe
It will give my feet a treat.

I have a pair of Justins
And a pair of Hyers too
I have two pair of Luccheses
And Tonys to name a few.

I bought a pair of Elk skin
Now there’s a boot to love
Soft and pliable
Fits just like a glove

There are some alligator
Boots that Mary bought
You’d think they would be waterproof
But they certainly are not.

Mary bought me a pair of Lizard
I thought some one would warn her
Boots with toes like that
Are for stomping bugs in a corner

I had some rough outs
Some made from cow hide
Then some French calf
And I wear them all with pride

I’ve got some ropers and some doggers
Some have walking heals, some underslung
Most for riding, none for joggers
But they aren’t made for walking
And don’t ever try to run.

But I can’t part with them old boots
Cause they represent too much
And to throw away those memories
I wouldn’t dream of such

Because my therapist thinks he’s winning
And I let him believe
But I go out and pull my boots on
The moment that I leave.

Jack is a patient at a RehabVisions facility in Central Nebraska. Alan Daup, OT is his therapist and the inspiration for this poem.

Below are just a few ideas our office came up with to handle these stressors:

1. Get a massage.

2. Exercise over your lunch hour.

3. Breathing techniques. (As therapists, we teach them, we may as well use them!)

4. Eat some baked goodies (in moderation of course).

5. Stretch.

6. Laugh with your patients.

7. Remember no one is perfect.

8. Walk when you can.

9. Drink some hot chocolate.

10. Take a nap.

Relaxation techniques really work. Read about them here and take the time to practice some stress reduction this holiday season.

By Jacque Sedlacek, PTA

Jacque is a PTA in a RehabVisions facility in Central Nebraska.