1 Year Later: My Life as a PT

So this week has been a long but fun week. Today is my 1 year working anniversary. I'm going on day number 9 of working in a row. What have I been faced with??? Just a taste (keeping from a HIPPA violation)

• diabetic feet with holes in toes...check
• torticollis x 3...check
• a billion cases of pneumonia...check
• lots of broken bones including hips, knees, ankles, and even a humerus...check
• a hospitalized person trying to steal library books from the hospital ?!!
• an adorable patient who carries around a lovey stuffed puppy and knows his name but not their own
• 2 self proclaimed "dirty old men" who were so cute I had to reply "I'll allow it."
• 2 patient falls neither of which were directly my fault but which still made me sad
• multiple attempts at poop...only 2 patient's were able to succeed
• multiple peeing accidents on the floor

Being a PT is a hard job. In the acute care setting, no regular person knows who you are or what you are there to do. Everything thinks massage when they think PT. Everyone thinks you can cure with one touch. No one gets 4 - 6 weeks is a normal recovery time. So the first thing you always say to a patient is you purpose, which you sometimes have to defend very adamently.

You have to answer to doctors, nurse's, patients and their families. You have to do what is best for the patient but follow the hospital rules and what families can do for their loved ones. You have to know how to word everything to please everyone, because making enemies makes life harder in this setting. You have to know where the place you works hides things like spare panties, socks, extra oxygen tubing, back up walkers, chair alarms, chap stick, combs, toothpaste and wash clothes because these things lend into your credibility and usefulness to patients. If someone stole your clothes, would you not love to take a walk with the person who brought you an extra gown and some undies.

You have to be able to use all of your extremities for a different purpose while moving. You have to know a little something about everything and make conversations out of nothing. You do lots of paperwork, and no matter how hard you try to keep up on it, someone will be calling you to do it faster. It becomes a challenge of what is more important, patients or paperwork, and since the paperwork is about patients your head sometimes spins. Sometimes you forget to answer questions on your paperwork because you get so caught up with people's problems and stories and lives and how you can make things easier and happier for them.

You get the opportunity to work with people who really care and those who just come to do enough to get a paycheck. You grow close to and work harder to help those who care and get annoyed by those who do the bare minimum. In the end the only justice so to speak, is when patients say things like "You are so much nicer than the person yesterday." Some patients you want to keep forever, and some cannot go home soon enough, but each one still steals a special place in your heart. Some people are repeat offenders and its bittersweet to see them back.

All in all my job has been very challenging teaching me new things every week and I can't wait for many years more.