January is National Mentoring Month and the perfect time to review our stance on the topic. We hire new therapy graduates throughout the year, and mentorship has always been an important point of discussion in both the interview and decision-making process.

Individualized

We take a more individualized approach to mentorship for a few reasons; 1) Everyone graduates with varying levels of confidence in their skill sets, 2) Mentorship means different things to different people, and 3) Access to an on-site, one-on-one mentor is dependent on the current facility staff and their availability.

Because we recognize all therapists are individuals, and mentorship is important for recent graduates and tenured therapists alike, our therapists can access multiple mentorship resources throughout our company, including our 500+ clinicians, online clinical resources and networking, CEUs and any in-house clinical experts. Knowing the whole of RehabVisions is accessible makes it easier to take initiative and reach out about mentoring needs.

“Some newer therapists frequently reach out for clinical advice,” says Assistant Director of Operations – Hospitals Bill Mannewitz, PT.  “I can then connect those therapists with the most qualified to respond.”

Clinical mentorship is not the only type of mentorship found at RehabVisions. As therapists progress in their careers and become team leads or rehab directors, the need for mentorship changes from clinical-focused mentorship to managerial. We have managers at varying levels who are encouraged to network with peers and their operations team for guidance and mentorship on managing.

Interdisciplinary

Because RehabVisions strives for a multidisciplinary approach to patient care within our facilities, we also believe in interdisciplinary mentorship. A physical therapist can certainly learn from therapists outside their discipline. Also, new hires have access to more than one mentor with this approach, increasing the benefits received during their early years as clinicians.

Rehab directors and team leads integrate their own form of learning opportunities for all therapists, regardless of tenure, by incorporating weekly or monthly meetings, in-service presentations, and promoting the benefits of asking interdisciplinary advice on patient treatment plans.

Ongoing RV Mentorship

Ongoing mentoring through RehabVisions includes clinical and compliance updates from the home office, as well as clinical information provided via our employee intranet, our blog and monthly clinical tips from the RV operations team.