Reflection On Shadowing

Ever since I was a kid, it has been my life goal to help as many people I can. I have moved around in many different areas of the medical field, but no career had caught my eye as much as physical therapy. As an athlete, I have been in and out of the physical therapist’s office for a majority of my life. Each time I have went I could not help but be beyond grateful for what these people have done for me; they have given me the ability to play the sport I love despite all the hiccups. Physical therapy is a dynamic field within the field of medicine because as a physical therapist one can make a difference in the lives of his or her patients, enjoy job security, and enjoy a rewarding and personally satisfying career.

My first experience observing a physical therapist, commenced in the summer of 2014. At the time, I was given the opportunity to observe a physical therapist named Jennifer Moreland. Throughout my time observing her, I began to recognize she was not just a physical therapist with her patients. Many times, she took on the role of a consoler, cheerleader, friend and supporter for her patients. Reflecting back on this, I am able to see that the primary reason she has succeeded as a physical therapist; is due to her amiable, encouraging and empathetic nature. These character traits have allowed her to do more than heal patients' musculoskeletal problems. She has also been able to heal hearts, souls and minds by cheering, supporting, listening

Life can change in a split second when an unanticipated injury or disease hinders someone’s normal daily life. Modern medicine, physicians and families can only do so much but physical therapy can help recoup the life many of us take for granted. It often isn’t until we lose something that we as humans realize what we had such as the value of our body’s ability to take us through each day. A physical therapist is the person who stays with a patient for the duration of the rehabilitation process. A physical therapist leads the patient through the process of regaining physical strength and helps the patient regain control of their future. Much like many careers that involve interaction with individuals, physical therapy reaches beyond

The American Physical Therapy Associations (APTA) vision statement sets a standard of quality care that should apply to every health care facility where physical therapy is practiced. In my opinion, when the APTA mentions improving the human experience, it is an attempt to encompass an enhancement in people’s ability to freely participate in the activities of their choice. Ultimately, the decisions that a person choose determines his career growth and relationship between him and the clients (Porter and Teisberg, 2006). From personal experience, losing the ability to take part in these activities can have a detrimental effect on one’s overall quality of life. In March of 2014, I was diagnosed with osteochritis dissecans on my left knee and

I believe that my personal and professional growth and behavior as a physical therapist is of utmost importance. I base this firstly on my strong connection to those in society who are disadvantaged when it comes to physical therapy, and also on the movement system, movement being “the key to optimal living and quality of life for all people that extends beyond health to every person’s ability to participate in and contribute to society” (American Physical Therapy Association, 2013). This perspective, I believe, is aligned perfectly with the vision statement for the physical therapy profession – to transform society through optimization of movement to improve the human experience (APTA, 2013). After reviewing the vision statement, I strongly believe it will act as my guide by strengthening compassion, reinforcing advocacy, improving quality of service, and strengthening cohesion.

As a PTA I have been given a breath of knowledge in regard to the profession of physical therapy. However, I am not satisfied with this breath of knowledge. I yearn for the opportunity to gain a further understanding in terms of “how and why” physical therapy is successful at restoring function to individuals seeking

I have shadowed two physicians during my pre-medical years. These experiences have significantly shaped the type of physician I want to be in the future. Not in the sense of a medical specialty, but rather in the sense of demonstrating a clear compassion and understanding for my patients.

Today I returned back to CDI South to shadow another Sonographer named Kari. Overall, this shadowing experience on November 24th has been my favorite yet. I watched Kari preform different ultrasounds, and I got to learn about diagnostic time, which was another one of my favorite parts about the day. Kari also answered all of my questions perfectly, and described the job in a way that made me almost completely confident that it is what I want to do in my future. Throughout my day with Kari, we saw a total of 4 patients. Our first patient was a 30-year-old woman who was there to get an OB ultrasound; she was about 20 weeks pregnant. This was my first patient I observed who needed a 20-week ultrasound. This time of the pregnancy usually marks on of their first ultrasounds for the pregnancy; they do a full scan of the baby, checking everything, and this is also the visit where the parents can find out the gender of the baby. One challenge for this visit was the parents brought their young toddler along, and she was distracting and wild in the room. But throughout this Kari was very professional, and says as the job goes on you learn to deal with these sorts of distractions. This experience was absolutely amazing; it was so powerful to see the baby on the screen and their parent’s reactions. I got to pick out certain parts of the baby, like the head, heart, bladder, and feet. The parents did not want to know the gender of this baby, but they got to leave the ultrasound knowing

Congratulations on making it to week eight of PTA 324 Physical Therapy Across Practice Settings! We end this course with a look at professional development of the PTA. We will be discussing ideas for lifelong learning and maintaining clinical competence. By being in this course, you have already shown a commitment to professional development and lifelong learning. As we come to the end of this class, reflect on the self-directed learning that you have achieved and how your professional development has been affected by your research and the interactions with your classmates.

I am the physical therapy team leader at a pediatric outpatient physical and occupational therapy clinic. This clinic evaluates and treats children between the ages of birth and 21 years with a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to: developmental delays, orthopedic and neurological conditions, brachial plexus injuries, torticollis and plagiocephaly, and autism spectrum disorders. Occasionally, the therapists will evaluate and treat an adult patient with developmental disabilities. The clinic is open five days per week with four occupational therapists, three physical therapists, one physical therapist assistant, and a Spanish-speaking interpreter. As the physical therapy team leader, I work with the occupational therapy team leader to suggest, establish, and implement new programs at the clinic, under the direction of the therapy manager.

The standard scope of practice of a Doctor of Physical Therapy consists of providing exercises and services that “prevent, minimize, or eliminate impairments of body functions and structures, activity limitations, and participation restrictions” as well as creating goals that will guide my patient to better mobility (The Physical Therapy, 2015). Physical therapy is a dynamic form of health care that focuses on rehabilitation, risk-prevention exercises, and performance

The Physical Therapy profession has been around for many years. “The American physical therapy profession emerged during and following the First World War as a result of the need for trained providers of therapeutic exercise – who practiced under the supervision of a physician – for the rehabilitation of injured soldiers.” (Wrynn, 2014) The profession over the past few years has had a huge expansion in need. “Physical therapists (PTs) provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients with injuries or disease. (Physical Therapist, 2012) Physical Therapist work with the patient to make sure

Physical therapy has been evolving as a profession over the last 50 years, bringing terms like "anatomy" to the field and leaving a stronger medical connection behind. Ties to a "doctoring" profession are great for physical therapy practice publicity. Embracing recent changes, many professionals are excited about this change, while others remain apprehensive. Either way, the evolution into a physical therapy practice is inevitable for many working in the field.

These resources will increase patient awareness of DN and the enhance the clinic's’ ability to perform the technique. In addition, marketing will increase referrals from physicians for patients who will benefit from DN as it provides them with peer-reviewed evidence, and awareness of the clinical expertise at ProActive physical therapy to provide such services. As the program grows and gains awareness, phasing-in two additional therapists to become certified in providing DN is predicted to occur, to allow one therapist at each of the three clinics to be providing DN

The internship that I acquired during the summer of 2010 at the Greenwood Sports and Industrial Rehabilitation Center (GSIRC), allowed me to gain an immeasurable amount of experience during my tenure at this facility. Within this period, the exposure to new concepts within the physical therapy industry allowed me to observe and work hands on with patients of all ages and disabilities that exposed me to various treatment plans and programs to restore client’s mobility. The essential Physical Education and Exercise Science (PEES) courses taken at Lander University were beneficial to my academic knowledgebase, which prepared me and developed me for the opportunity within the physical therapy discipline. Working as