Top 20 Things I Learned: Day in the Life of a Physical Therapist
Top 20 Things I Learned: Day in the Life of a Physical Therapist
A physical therapist is a health specialist who evaluates and treats human body disorders as explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. They may help you manage illness or injuries to your musculoskeletal system, neurological systems, cardiopulmonary system, and integumentary system. If you have ever wondered what a day in the life of a physical therapist is like, then you are in the right place.
No two days are the same
It is important to note that the daily life of a physical therapist is ever-changing. Because of the unique patient load, no two days are truly the same according to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Additionally, every physical therapist job itself is different. Therefore, those who work in a fitness center will have very different days than those in a hospital, for example.
Individual care
There are a few things that every physical therapist has in common, day in and day out. To begin with, they are all well-educated, passionate providers who care about each individual patient’s long-term success. That means every day is spent creating and executing individualized treatment plans designed specifically for each patient’s needs.
Note-taking
Given that physical therapists are incredibly detailed medical professionals, they use SOAP Notes or some form of specific note-taking method to keep very close tabs on every single patient as per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. This is important to both track progress and have relevant and clear information to share with the patient’s medical team when necessary.
Cleaning the therapy area
Since physical therapists begin seeing patients at 8:00 AM, they are often the first person to arrive. Depending on the patient list for the day, there are several things one will do to prepare. They include ensuring the therapy area is clean, which is important.
Reviewing the patient list
Once the physical therapist is satisfied the therapy area is clean, they will proceed to review the day’s patient list and corresponding patient treatment plans to ensure that they are well informed and prepared when it comes to what is to come during the day.
Gathering all tools
After reviewing the patient list, the physical therapist will then move to gather all necessary therapy tools, paperwork, and activities for those patients as articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. The patient list is what will help you decide on the tools and everything you will need for the day.
Treatment schedule
Finally, once everything is in place, the physical therapist will proceed to block out a treatment schedule based on patient plans. The physical therapist will also review and/or prepare instructions based on notes from the previous session.
Some of the preparatory activities can be done at the end of the day
Given that the turnaround time between getting into the office and seeing the first patient can be a tight one, there are instances in which physical therapists do some of the preparatory activities at the end of the day so the mornings are less busy as captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. For example, reviewing the patient load and corresponding notes can certainly be done the day before.
Meeting with returning patients
When the first patient arrives, it is time to truly start the day. Any returning patient will “pick up where they left off” in terms of their treatment plan. This can include hands-on work such as soft-tissue work, stretching, and more; teaching the patent new exercises to do during therapy and at home; as well as going over pain relief techniques (if necessary).
Length of appointments
Appointments commonly last one hour and will almost always include some kind of hands-on treatment mixed with exercise and communication, and an at-home plan to work on before their next visit. Physical therapists see 3 patients in the morning unless they prefer a later lunch.
Meeting new patients is a bit more structured
Seeing returning patients is not the same as seeing new patients. As covered at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, a physical therapist may meet a new patient on any given day. When that happens, things are a bit more structured.
Taking the patient’s history
The first step in the onboarding process of a new patient is taking the patient’s history by the physical therapist. While a nurse or a chart from the patient’s physician can also provide details, the therapist will still sit with a new patient for a while gathering history to learn more.
Examining the injury
Once the patient’s history has been taken, the physical therapist will examine the injury or area that will be treated. After examining the area, they will continue to seek out important details as they relate to the patient’s injury as described at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.
Building a patient chart
The physical therapist will then proceed to build a patient chart to include all they have learned, as well as any other information provided by the patient’s physician, family/caregiver, and other medical professionals currently treating the patient.
Creating goals
Every new patient requires short- and long-term goals, which means the success of treatment can be measured. This is an important step, and while it may seem small, setting goals plays a large role in the overall success of any patient.
Developing a treatment plan
Once goals are established, a treatment plan is developed as discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. The plan includes things like the types of treatments the physical therapist will be providing, the frequency of visits, potential at-home exercises, and more.
The majority of the day is spent seeing patients
It is worth noting that the afternoon might also include seeing more returning patients, just as the morning may include a new patient or two. While the types of patients are always changing, the physical therapist’s typical day between 8 AM and 4 PM will be spent working with patients.
Patient review
While one may continue seeing patients past 4 PM, many offices leave time at the end of a physical therapist’s day for review as outlined at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. This time is specifically used to notate the progress of each patient seen that day, and while a physical therapist will likely jot down a few things during the appointment, the end of the day is when notes are fleshed out and finalized.
How your workday shapes up depends on the setting in which you work
It is worth noting that the workday outlined in this article doesn’t apply to all physical therapists. If you choose to take a job in a hospital or hospice setting or work as an in-home physical therapist, your daily work life will not line up with the one outlined here.
Closing up for the day
Finally, the physical therapy will wind down the day after taking down notes on patients’ progress as already mentioned. This is where the physical therapist will take time to review emails and phone calls that they received during the day and then gets ready to leave the office for the day.
These are some of the things to expect when it comes to a day in the life of a physical therapist, with more on this, and other related topics, to be found over at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.
