My challenges were probably not the same as some of my classmates. I was not afraid to work with the patients or be intimidated by their disabilities. I looked at my time in clinic as a challenge to grow and learn and be the best I could for that patient, that day. I made some mistakes and learned lessons that will stay with me much longer than if I would have always gotten things right. I won’t ever forget how walking up to someone from behind who has spasticity and hight tone can affect that person. I have a much greater respect when someone with MS tells me they are very sensitive. I know that I must be cautious about how and where I touch them. I learned how to better communicate with patients who couldn’t tell me what was going on.

I will always love the more hands on type of treatment, where I get to teach, guide and help the patient to see them accomplish their goals. I love to see where they are when they first come in and where we can get them when they leave for the day. Being able to celebrate even the smallest accomplishments is so rewarding. I also realize that not every body that I treat is going to have the same desire to get “better” that I do or the PT does. Looking at the patient as a whole person and not just a diagnoses or pathology seems to come easy for me. Where I get into trouble is that I take their lack of motivation personally. I know better, I am a patient in our clinic also and I don’t follow my own HEP properly!

I am looking forward to being able to open up our backpacks full of knowledge and skills when I get out in the “real world” and put them to the test. I want to try E-stim on a real patient and actually see the results. I want to practice approximation, facilitation and inhibition on patients that really need my help. I want to develop an HEP that the patient will be excited to do on their own and see the results for theirself. Overall, I can’t wait to get started on my clinicals. I mostly just want “regular” hours again. I feel that I have been burning the candle at both ends and in the middle and I am tired. I know that I will work very hard at clinicals but I also know that it will be rewarding and educational. I am hoping that I will be able to take what we have book learned and apply it to the practical world of PT.

I work hard with the SPT’s to get a handle on the whole patient picture. It is easy to get lost in what the pt. is like just in the clinic and forget that they have lives that extend far beyond our scope. It is nice to get input from the pt. and the PT to fill in the blanks that we might otherwise miss. Educating the pt. and their family or caregiver is a little more difficult when they either do not comply or they don’t understand. Finding ways to overcome that barrier has been challenging but I am slowly filling up my bag of goodies to have more tools to be successful. I like be able to get advice from the SPT’s and my teachers. The first year students are also full of great ideas and it is fun to see that they are becoming more confident with their new knowledge.

Yes, I always put the pt. safety first. I always have the gate belt on if it is needed and position myself to be able to cushion the pt. if they should fall. I am not afraid to ask for help from any volunteers that may be handy. It is nice to have that kind of interaction and be able to show them what a treatment is like and how it can change from one week to the next and from one pt. to the next. No one can say that our job is boring!

I am very aware of the ethical and legal standards and do abide by them as closely as I can. I try not to ever talk about a pt. outside of our classroom setting. I also have a strong respect for each individual pt. and their beliefs. I am not afraid to ask if I have offended them and try to avoid doing so again. I follow the pt’s POC as closely as I can also. I appreciate the fact that we can interact with the SPT’s and get ideas from them or be able to give them our ideas. It feels great to have that type of open communication. I hope that it will follow out in the “real world”.

I feel that I am personally doing as good of a job as possible in the delivery of patient care. Sometimes it gets hard to find the right space to be able to deliver a treatment. Our clinic is great, it is just lacking in room. Hopefully that will not be such an issue when the program gets to expand into new digs! I guess that I try very hard to follow what the PT has set out as goals and still be able to meet what the pt. exspects to achieve also. I am open to suggestions from everyone, my peers, teachers and patients. I welcome the feedback because I know that is the only way that I will continue to grow in this field.

I am getting 98% better at documentation! I am going to try to write my note next week directly into the chart instead of having to do a rough draft first. Practice has made it easier and I don’t get so wordy if I know that I will put it in the chart the first time. I feel that I am able to paint a picture of what the therapy session consisted of well enough that the next SPTA will be able to come along and duplicate the treatment or at least the parts that worked and understand what didn’t work.

As far as communication goes, I am able to communicate to the patient on their level, so they understand and then turn around and use the proper clinical terminology to explain to my instructor what is going on. I am also helping the 1st year students to understand the abbreviations and terminology that we use. It is good practice for all of us.

I was sick today and unable to attend clinic. However, since I am on this blog site and this is my least favorite part of clinicals, I am going to answer the question for the week.

I feel very strongly that I am able to think outside the PT box and incorporate the patients needs and functional expectations into their therapy. As I stated in the previous week, I like to challenge both myself and the patient. If I have an idea, I like to run it past my instructor or the SPT to get their input. I want to at least ask the pt. if they would be willing to try something new. If they are able to see the benefits and be able to relate it to their ADL’s, and it is within the goals, then why not try it! If we only did the same thing with our patients time after time, they would get bored and so would we. That is what progression is all about.

As far as patient therapy interventions go, I feel that I am doing great. I am always looking for ways to challenge the patient and myself. I am trying harder to give the 1st year stundents more responsibility in the POC. I feel that I am competent and capable of delivering the therapy that is set by the PT. I have also been very responsible in the billing for each patient. I will occasionally forget to write the hours down on the chart that is in the equipment room, but I usually remember by the next day.