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Archive for the ‘OT Travel’ Category

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Therapists Help People Manage Stress, Avoid Illness

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Traveling physical therapists and travel occupational therapists working in clinical settings across the country surely see it every day – especially during these challenging times.  Accumulated stress, sleep deprivation, a compromised immune system and a set of generally unhealthy body movements and approach to activities of daily living, lead many Americans to seek medical help. In fact, research has shown that up to 90 percent of doctor’s office visits are stress related in some way. Some people are diagnosed with chronic stress related illnesses such as back pain, headaches, sleeping disorders and even hypertension and digestive dysfunction. Others are saddled with “chronic pain” and a plethora of prescription and over the counter medications to manage their lives. Most patients suffering from stress related symptoms and illnesses, however, may be surprised at the potential positive impact of physical or occupational therapy.

Physical therapy can be incredibly effective in providing relief for chronic pain, while restoring functionality and flexibility throughout the body. It is also a healthier alternative to long term regimens of prescription painkillers and even some over the counter medications. This is especially important since the American Geriatrics Society has issued warnings regarding the chronic use of NSAID medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin in the elderly. Physical therapy for pain relief does not come with the life threatening side effects of those drugs, such as ulcers, uncontrollable blood pressure, impaired kidney function, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Occupational therapists play a vital role in assessing potentially harmful patterns in a person’s daily routine and teaching them healthier ways to function, manage stress and live their life.

Stress may be an inevitable part of life, but the illness, injury and pain that it can lead to, are not. Traveling physical therapy jobs and occupational therapy travel jobs are in demand in clinical settings across the country to spread this message and teach people strategies and techniques for living a healthy life.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy, PT Blogs, Physical Therapy | No Comments »

Music Therapy Helps Special Need Children

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

All types of rehabilitation therapists, including traveling physical therapists, travel occupational therapists and traveling speech language pathologists, are integral in the care of special needs children. Music therapy is a form of rehab treatments that is often used in conjunction with occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech language pathology. When music therapy is included as a component of existing treatments, the results often speak for themselves.

Communication and social interaction skills are improved, often because of the similarities and speaking and singing, one part of music therapy. This component of therapy also aids the child’s long term memory retention, since an interested, attentive child learns new skills better. Music therapy benefits the special need child’s motor abilities, since rhythm is correlated to movement and coordination. Utilizing recorded music as a part of rehab therapy also promotes relaxation and decreases muscle tension, making treatment easier for therapist and patient.

The first undergraduate degree program in the U.S. came into being in 1944 at Michigan State University. A degree in music therapy typically requires a therapist to become proficient in guitar, piano, voice, music theory and history, reading music along with a conventional health care and rehab therapy foundation. Music therapy has been known to benefit special need children with autism, brain injuries, Down syndrome, and children with significant developmental delays.

Physical therapist careers and occupational therapist careers working in music therapy are responsible for assessing each individual patients and designing a treatment plan that uses the best methods, whether listening to music, singing, playing or all three, that meet each patient’s objectives.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech/Language Pathology | 2 Comments »

Occupational Therapists Can Help Mature Drivers

Monday, June 8th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

It is the perfect blend of fact and fiction. Are older drivers (senior, mature, etc.) more of an on-the-road risk than their younger counterparts? The facts show that, yes, body functions such as reflexes, vision, hearing, flexibility, range of motion and mental acuity naturally decline with age. Research largely supports these facts of life. However, some overactive younger imaginations make all older drivers into highway menaces. Wherever the truth lies in the health spectrum for each senior driver, an event called “CarFit” has been developed by the American Society on Aging and is sponsored by the AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association. The program assesses and assists older drivers in maintaining their driving health.

Occupational therapists and traveling occupational therapists looking for an opportunity to assist mature drivers play a lead role in CarFit events throughout the country. First, the therapists complete a 12-point checklist that assesses the driver’s overall driving health and identities potential risk factors that may affect driving. Participating occupational therapists then teach older drivers techniques to strengthen their driving abilities such as properly adjusting head restraints and seatbelts, assessing flexibility to turn sideways while backing up, and proper positioning of rear and side view mirrors. Older drivers are also instructed on the proper use of their vehicle’s safety features. Finally, the CarFit occupational therapists refer senior drivers to local fitness, nutrition and other community programs, based on their individual needs.

Traffic and driving demands are steadily increasing due to an increasing population, more driver distractions, faster speeds and other factors that can be daunting to any driver, let alone seniors struggling with declining driving health. Occupational therapists and travel occupational therapists can play a key role in helping their older clients manage these challenges and stay safe on the road.

For more information on CarFit: www.car-fit.org

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in AOTA, Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy | No Comments »

Fun Forms of Physical Therapy

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Floating in the pool, going for a horse ride or walking a dog may not exactly sound like the most formal methods of physical therapy and occupational therapy.  However, when proven therapy techniques and the skill of a rehab therapist are combined with these activities, they become aquatic physical therapy, equestrian therapy (or therapeutic riding) and pet therapy. Attention therapists, traveling physical therapists and travel occupational therapists looking for a fresh way to apply your skills and expertise: One or more of these practice areas may be for you.

Aquatic Physical Therapy
The basic premise is physical therapy with conventional physical therapy goals, carried out in an aquatic environment. A water environment such as a swimming pool offers properties such as natural buoyancy and resistance that would require special equipment to achieve on dry land. Physical therapy in water benefits a variety of conditions including musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular and more in all ages of patients.

Pet Therapy
Specially trained animals are used many different ways in therapeutic patient interventions. Overall, it has been proven the petting an animal releases endorphins, the calming, miracle chemical produced by the human body. From a therapy standpoint, this helps physical therapists with rehabilitating patients who would rather not go for their daily walk around the nurse’s station. Therapists have found that stubborn patients have a much harder time saying no to a dog than to them. Nothing against the therapists I’m sure.

Equestrian Therapy
Occupational therapists and physical therapists are a key component of equestrian therapy, also called “therapeutic riding.”  This form of therapy, carried out at special rehabilitation centers with specifically selected and trained horses, has been proven very therapeutic in patients with brain or spinal cord injuries as well as developmental disorders such as cerebral palsy. The motions of riding a horse imitate the same physical movements involved in walking and therefore can retrain the muscles of the trunk and upper body to move this way.

Music therapy has also been known to help special needs children improve their memory attention and motor abilities.

Therapists with a taste for learning something new and an urge to break free from hospital settings, even if just on a part time basis, may find a whole new set of learning experiences in these cutting edge forms of treatment by beginning a career as a traveling physical therapist.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy, PT Blogs, Physical Therapy | No Comments »

Travel Therapy Company Focus: Medical Connections Part II

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Following, is the conclusion of my conversation with Ann Marie Ruggiero, Director of Travel Therapy and Recruiting at Medical Connections. Here, Ann Marie discusses other aspects of a career in travel therapy including how current health care trends may affect this field.

Which areas hold the most opportunities for travel therapists right now?

The majority of assignments are in skilled nursing settings like assisted living facilities, outpatient settings and of course in acute hospital settings. There is a pretty even need between physical therapy travel jobs, occupational therapy travel jobs, and travel speech therapy jobs.

How much experience is ideal for the aspiring travel therapist right now to get hired?

All therapists who aspire to travel need is one year of experience after graduation. The reason for this is that there is often a very minimal amount of orientation on a new assignment.  You may be hitting the floor by 10am on your first day.

In your opinion, how are current healthcare trends affecting travel therapy?

The increase in baby boomers will increase the need for travelers, especially in the skilled nursing facilities that we have contracts with throughout the United States. Even with the economy the way it is, we have found that therapy has slowed down slightly but there is still a big demand for traveling therapists at this time.

In light of this demand, we recommend that our therapists have multiple state licenses to make themselves more marketable and be able to accept a new assignment quickly. These are therapists who do not have a problem finding work at all. One of our benefits is 100% licensure reimbursement.  If you are contemplating going into travel, get at least one or two other state licenses.

Anything else we should know about Medical Connections?

We have wonderful benefits at Medical Connections as well as several solid clients we work with throughout the U.S.  We have recruiters available every day, even on Saturdays.  You can also go to our website (www.medicalconnections.com) to ask a question or submit an application through our website. Most important, I want travel therapists (or those considering this career) to know that we have so many travel therapy jobs right now that we can’t even fill them.

Medical Connections
www.medicalconnections.com

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy, PT Blogs, Physical Therapy, Speech/Language Pathology | 1 Comment »

Home Based PT, OT Helps Seniors Live Longer

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

There are specific benefits for people who recover from injuries, convalesce from illnesses, and receive palliative end of life care in the home versus in a hospital or extended care facility. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and travel therapists in these fields play key roles in home health care, especially for seniors. Now, there is recent research showing just how valuable physical and occupational therapy can be for the elderly in their homes.

The study was done by researchers from the Applied Research no Aging and Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. The study participants were seniors living in their homes who were otherwise healthy but starting to experience functional challenges (trouble bending, opening jars, button clothing, get out of the tub, etc.).

It showed that those who received specific physical and occupational therapy interventions lived on average three and a half years longer than those who did not receive the rehab therapy. In addition to physical and occupational therapy, the intervention also included minor safety modifications to participants’ homes.

Physical and occupational therapists play valuable assessment, problem solving and therapeutic roles in home health. Therapists as well as traveling physical therapists and travel occupational therapists teach seniors to perform activities of daily living in a safe way that conserve energy, provide balance and stability training, educate seniors and their families about fall prevention, and provide memory retraining exercises in some instances.

Rehabilitation therapy interventions in the homes have been proven to increase the life expectancy, social and psychological health and quality of life for America’s aging population. There is a huge need for physical therapy travel jobs and occupational therapy travel jobs (and those who aspire to enter the field) who want to make a difference in this area of home health.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech/Language Pathology | No Comments »

Travel Therapy Company Focus: Cirrus Allied Part II

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Following, is part two of my conversation with Candace Berk, President of Cirrus Allied (formerly MDI Medical).

What kind of advice would you give to new travel therapists?

Make sure your company has your back and understands your career goals. For instance, some people just want to try one travel assignment and see if it works or just travel for the summer. Others may come across a facility where they would like a permanent position. Those are all things that we can accommodate, but it’s important for all therapists to make sure that their travel company understands what they want and not what the company needs.

How can new travel therapists determine which agency is best for their needs?

To start with, it comes down to your relationship with your travel recruiter. Are they calling you back when they said they would?  Are they clear on the job expectations? Do you trust that how they will represent you will be based on what you want? Do you connect with them? Are they listening to what you need? Ask for therapist references.

Can travel therapy work if the therapist has a family?

Most of our travelers will be young and not yet have a family.  They will do travel therapy jobs before they settle down.  We also have empty nesters as travel therapists.

We do have people who travel with families who make it work either by home schooling their kids or keeping the therapist busy in the area they want to work in.  We’re a large enough company where we have that kind of flexibility.

Which travel therapy careers are most in demand now?

Physical, occupational and speech therapists are all in high demand now. It also depends on the setting. For instance, speech language pathologists are most in demand by schools.  Across the board, physical therapists are needed everywhere.  Physical therapists and occupational therapists are both needed in home health.

In closing?

As a travel therapist, your job is to enable patient satisfaction. If you’re focused on that, everybody wins.

Cirrus Allied (formerly MDI Medical)
www.mdimedical.com

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Travel Therapy Company Focus: Cirrus Allied

Monday, May 18th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

As promised, here are the highlights of a very informative conversation I recently had with a representative from Atlanta, Texas and Charlotte based Cirrus Allied, a valued travel agency partner of Allied Travel Careers.  I spoke with President Candace Berk about her company, what they look for in travel therapists and advice she has for aspiring travel therapists.

What makes Cirrus Allied stand out from other travel therapy companies?

Cirrus Allied, formerly MDI medical, has been in the travel therapy market for 7 years. We dedicated ourselves specifically to the therapy market before it was cool to be in therapy. Our therapist clients find it great that we have a niche focus in a broad setting. We place therapists in schools, government settings, home health agencies, hospitals and in skilled nursing facilities across the country. We have also received outstanding recognition for our customer service. We understand that therapists have their choice of companies to work with and are honored that they choose us. We also offer excellent benefits, something we’re seeing competitors drop in the current market. We have a broad client base and get travel therapy jobs anywhere in the country.

Who are the best candidates for a career in travel therapy?

Therapists who have at least one year of experience who want to grow their resume, experience level, and make more money doing it. They have to be adaptable to different clinical settings while understanding that certain personality traits match up with each setting. It’s not just about matching up clinical skills.

What are the most important questions new travel therapists should ask about a new assignment?

They should get a clear expectation of the pay rate, benefits, housing specifics (some companies really shave money on the housing), job expectations including caseload and really the totally package from their recruiter and the client. Unfortunately in this market there are many verbal commitments so they should make sure the promises are all in writing. Also ask about the orientation provided. Most places provide anywhere between 8-24 hours. Once a therapist has some experience traveling, they generally know how things work other than learning a few new idiosyncrasies of each new place. Very often we’ll sit in on the phone interviews with clients to make sure it’s the right fit, especially if they’re new to travel.

See our next blog for the conclusion of my interview with Cirrus Allied President and travel therapy industry expert Candace Berk.

Cirrus Allied (formerly MDI Medical)
www.mdimedical.com

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech/Language Pathology | No Comments »

Travel Therapy Assignments Galore

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

As part of my research for upcoming columns, I have had the pleasure of interviewing travel therapy recruitment representatives from www.AlliedTravelCareers.com list of valued partner agencies. I have to admit that, even though I was well aware of the need for rehab therapists in hospitals and acute care settings across the country, I had no idea the extent of staffing needs in this area of medicine.

Each travel agency representative I have interviewed so far (with several more to go), has expressed a great need for physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists who are looking for travel therapy jobs. One representative even pointed out that the definition of “travel” is a flexible one that can mean within 50 miles from your home.  Many of these same recruiters are hiring therapists into permanent positions.  If you are a therapist looking to custom design your career – from assignment locations (Texas is overflowing with available assignments) to salary, comprehensive benefits, your choice of clinical settings and assignment flexibility – this is absolutely the time to contact a recruiter from our partner agencies.

Stay connected with the blog here on ATC for more details from these interviews including specific information about the travel therapy companies and what they have to offer. Whether you are already a traveling therapist or considering a career in travel physical therapy, travel occupational therapy, or travel speech language pathology, the information generously shared by these industry experts will benefit your career.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech/Language Pathology | No Comments »

Rehab Therapy Critical for Burn Victims

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Burns are one of the most traumatic injuries the human body can endure.  Multiple body systems are simultaneously involved and, depending on the severity, burns can appear deceivingly non-threatening while doing most of their dirty work beneath the damaged skin. Damaged blood vessels dilate causing inflammation and edema are typically listed among many other life threatening problems.  Once the patient is stabilized and undergoes graft surgery, the rehabilitation work begins.

Following surgery, the possibility of webbing between fingers and toes along with the presence of scar tissue and its potential to prevent debilitating contractures, especially in joints, requires the skilled touch of a physical therapist. Patients with the most severe (third and fourth degree) burns are the ones who most often require intensive physical therapy (often called “physiotherapy” for those traveling physical therapist considering assignments in English speaking countries overseas). If not prevented through rehabilitation, skin, joint, muscle, tendon and ligament contractures can have a devastating effect on a burn patient’s life.  Rigid, contracted limbs can easily become the end of mobility and independence for patients.

Speech therapists and speech language pathologists are also an integral part of the burn patient’s treatment team in the case of smoke inhalation injuries.  Occupational therapists have a vital role in helping burn patients relearn activities of daily living.

Traveling physical therapists, travel occupational therapists and travel speech therapists all have the opportunity to have a positive and permanent effect on the lives of burn patients around the world. With the average rehabilitation time for serious burns being 18 months to two years, there are undoubtedly many opportunities for assignments in this area of patient care.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

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Posted in Allied Travel Jobs, OT Travel, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech/Language Pathology | No Comments »

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