Physical Therapy Practice Over Time
Clinical Experiences
August - October 2013
At Unity Medical Center in rural North Dakota, I completed a nine week clinical experience evaluating and treating patients with an array of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular pathologies. Although the majority of my time was spent working in the outpatient setting, this rural clinical site allowed me to gather experience in inpatient acute care as well. I was able to develop a case load of approximately 8 patients per day by the third week of the clinical experience with a case mix of about 75% outpatient orthopedic patients and 25% acute care patients with pathologies affecting multiple systems of the body. A few hours a week I was also able to work alongside nursing to gain experience assessing, monitoring, and designing protocols for patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation. While I had a well-rounded experience at Unity Medical Center treating a variety of patients at varying levels of severity, what I enjoyed most was learning from healthcare professionals who practiced excellence in their level of care and demonstrated compassion toward their patients.
At Unity Medical Center in rural North Dakota, I completed a nine week clinical experience evaluating and treating patients with an array of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular pathologies. Although the majority of my time was spent working in the outpatient setting, this rural clinical site allowed me to gather experience in inpatient acute care as well. I was able to develop a case load of approximately 8 patients per day by the third week of the clinical experience with a case mix of about 75% outpatient orthopedic patients and 25% acute care patients with pathologies affecting multiple systems of the body. A few hours a week I was also able to work alongside nursing to gain experience assessing, monitoring, and designing protocols for patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation. While I had a well-rounded experience at Unity Medical Center treating a variety of patients at varying levels of severity, what I enjoyed most was learning from healthcare professionals who practiced excellence in their level of care and demonstrated compassion toward their patients.
October- December 2013
The second nine week clinical experience at Eventide at Sheyenne Crossings which was a senior living facility that encompassed the entire continuum of senior living and healthcare. This clinical experience provided me the opportunity to work with patients at a variety of stages in the aging process and I was able to gather a more in depth understanding of the healthcare system as related to the aging population. While the majority of the patients I had the pleasure of treating were transitional care patients being seen strictly for rehabilitation purposes related to orthopedic & cardiovascular surgeries, I also gained experience treating permanent residents in the skilled nursing facility who required continual care with much more challenging diagnosis’ and general debility. As expected, I gained valuable experience working with patients who had an array of cognitive abilities due to dementia, Alzheimer’s and chemical dependency.
The second nine week clinical experience at Eventide at Sheyenne Crossings which was a senior living facility that encompassed the entire continuum of senior living and healthcare. This clinical experience provided me the opportunity to work with patients at a variety of stages in the aging process and I was able to gather a more in depth understanding of the healthcare system as related to the aging population. While the majority of the patients I had the pleasure of treating were transitional care patients being seen strictly for rehabilitation purposes related to orthopedic & cardiovascular surgeries, I also gained experience treating permanent residents in the skilled nursing facility who required continual care with much more challenging diagnosis’ and general debility. As expected, I gained valuable experience working with patients who had an array of cognitive abilities due to dementia, Alzheimer’s and chemical dependency.
Work Experience
September 2011-March 2012
Rosewood Post- Acute Rehab located in Carmicheal, California was my first taste of a skilled nursing facility and transitional care. I received a position as an activities assistant which required me to worked in conjunction with the activities coordinator to organize and facilitate group and one-to-one activities for residents of the SNF. One of the activities that I am most proud of organizing was a morning exercise class which I facilitated each weekday morning for thirty minutes. My goal was to encourage participation regardless of mobility or cognitive status, which meant allowing participation to be determined by the ability of the individual. On a day to day basis, I would be exercising with those who could ambulate independently and complete every exercise, as well as dependent residents who simply sat and listened to the music while enjoying the activity around them.
One-to-one activities involved visiting with residents individually and offering them the opportunity to participate in an activity of their choice. Reading, crosswords, cards games, arts and crafts, painting finger nails and simply socializing were often the most requested activities. While not directly associated to the technical abilities related to physical therapy, it allowed me to connect with others who were generationally and culturally diverse. I enjoyed listening to many stories, and learning many lessons from the residents at Rosewood. The diversity of perspectives and worldviews in both residents and staff members present at Rosewood provided many unique challenges that contributed to this formative experience in my personal and professional journey.
Rosewood Post- Acute Rehab located in Carmicheal, California was my first taste of a skilled nursing facility and transitional care. I received a position as an activities assistant which required me to worked in conjunction with the activities coordinator to organize and facilitate group and one-to-one activities for residents of the SNF. One of the activities that I am most proud of organizing was a morning exercise class which I facilitated each weekday morning for thirty minutes. My goal was to encourage participation regardless of mobility or cognitive status, which meant allowing participation to be determined by the ability of the individual. On a day to day basis, I would be exercising with those who could ambulate independently and complete every exercise, as well as dependent residents who simply sat and listened to the music while enjoying the activity around them.
One-to-one activities involved visiting with residents individually and offering them the opportunity to participate in an activity of their choice. Reading, crosswords, cards games, arts and crafts, painting finger nails and simply socializing were often the most requested activities. While not directly associated to the technical abilities related to physical therapy, it allowed me to connect with others who were generationally and culturally diverse. I enjoyed listening to many stories, and learning many lessons from the residents at Rosewood. The diversity of perspectives and worldviews in both residents and staff members present at Rosewood provided many unique challenges that contributed to this formative experience in my personal and professional journey.
Anderson & Balser Physical Therapy
March-July 2012
As a physical therapy aide at Anderson & Balser Physical Therapy, a private practice co-owned by two physical therapists in Nevada City, California, I used my education in exercise science to guide patients through exercise protocols as prescribed by, and under direct supervision of the physical therapist. My other duties included scheduling patient appointments, making phone calls to remind patients of their appointments, communicating with physicians and referral sources, organizing and filing patient charts, and typing handwritten progress and daily notes by the physical therapists. While I never found any of these responsibilities to be extremely exciting, this position gave me a backstage pass to see how a private practice operated behind the scenes. Typing handwritten progress notes was one of my least liked responsibilities, but looking back, it gave me an understanding of what excellent documentation looks like and has been a guide as I continue to grow in this aspect. I was also able to understand the urgency of putting the needs of the patients and referral sources above our own by being efficient and effective not only in evaluation and treatment of pathologies, but also in relation to scheduling and billing of patients. I really got “bit by the bug” at Anderson & Balser Physical Therapy to one day build a cutting edge private practice pursuing excellence in every facet of patient care.
March-July 2012
As a physical therapy aide at Anderson & Balser Physical Therapy, a private practice co-owned by two physical therapists in Nevada City, California, I used my education in exercise science to guide patients through exercise protocols as prescribed by, and under direct supervision of the physical therapist. My other duties included scheduling patient appointments, making phone calls to remind patients of their appointments, communicating with physicians and referral sources, organizing and filing patient charts, and typing handwritten progress and daily notes by the physical therapists. While I never found any of these responsibilities to be extremely exciting, this position gave me a backstage pass to see how a private practice operated behind the scenes. Typing handwritten progress notes was one of my least liked responsibilities, but looking back, it gave me an understanding of what excellent documentation looks like and has been a guide as I continue to grow in this aspect. I was also able to understand the urgency of putting the needs of the patients and referral sources above our own by being efficient and effective not only in evaluation and treatment of pathologies, but also in relation to scheduling and billing of patients. I really got “bit by the bug” at Anderson & Balser Physical Therapy to one day build a cutting edge private practice pursuing excellence in every facet of patient care.