By Christine Whitmarsh, RN BSN

Basketball is a big deal at the University of Rhode Island. The staff, players, and fans are very passionate about the “Rhody Rams” men’s basketball team. I should know, since I’m a URI alumni, former basketball pep band member and former campus ambulance EMT. I know exactly how passionate the fans are about URI basketball because, as an EMT, I got to see on a regular basis the results of the fans trying to emulate the players.

Physical therapists and traveling physical therapists – how often have you heard this oldie but goodie? “I landed wrong.”  Yes indeed, Kobe wannabe, landing on any other extremity than your feet is certainly landing wrong. Our ambulance corps saw enough ACL knee, Achilles and ankle injuries to realize that just because people have seen a sport being played by others and are very passionate about emulating those players, doesn’t necessarily mean that they should try a flying slam dunk their first time down the court.

Professional athletes have personal trainers (and traveling physical therapists/trainers specifically assigned to professional sports – lucky ducks) to remind them to stretch, warm up, cross train, and perform regular range of motion exercises to prevent overuse injuries. Fans and weekend warriors, especially the aging baby boomer demographic of warriors, don’t have that luxury. The first time these novices encounter a physical therapist is usually when the damage has already been done and the warrior is looking to get back on the feet and back on the court as soon as possible. Some weekend warriors develop lasting relationships with their physical therapists, especially when they share the warrior spirit exhibited by their favorite professional athletes. Now they have someone else to emulate – President Weekend Warrior, playing hoops in the White House while also trying to implement universal health care so that every weekend warrior has access to physical therapy when slam dunks turn into slammed knee caps.

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.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

There are elderly residents of all ages and different levels of health living independently in retirement communities across the country.  In fact, traveling rehab therapists looking for assignment ideas serving this patient demographic, should consider Florida, Arizona, Texas and California among other popular senior destinations. Residents in these communities often have more physical and occupational therapy needs than they or their loved ones may realize. Just because they are living independently for now, does not mean that a wobble, slip, fall or minor mishap couldn’t change everything.

Travel physical therapists, travel occupational therapists and other therapists can make a profound difference in the lives of senior and allow them to maintain their independent quality of life through community education. Physical therapy agencies frequently offer their educational services to retirement communities. Therapists can do a world of good simply by educating seniors about how to prevent falls, household safety tips, how to manage their health, how to maintain their core and leg strength and keeping tabs on their vision.

Fall prevention is a biggie for seniors. I saw this as a nursing home nurse and later as an orthopedic nurse. I used to watch my nursing home residents being taken away to nursing homes with hip fractures with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Approximately 25% of individuals with hip fractures die within one year and another 25% lose their independence when they are admitted to a nursing home for permanent care. Physical therapists can be particularly educational for female residents of retirement communities, as women have a higher frequency of hip fractures and complications due to osteoporosis and a longer life span. Traveling physical therapists have the opportunity to educate elderly patients about these topics in many communities around the country on a regular basis.

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.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

A few seasons back on the popular television show “Dancing with the Stars”, a friend of a friend tore his bicep muscle while competing. I really didn’t know much about ballroom dancing at that point, apparently in opposition to the rest of America. That was the moment that I realized Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers may have been bonafide athletes after all, prone to all the same types of injuries. The list of celebrity injuries on the show is mounting by the season – injured ankles and feet, scratched eyes, ruptured Achilles tendons, and fractured knees and shins. Are celebrities really this accident prone and out of shape or are they just unprepared for the physical rigors of ballroom dancing on such an intensive schedule?

The good news for physical therapists, other than the increased business for those in Los Angeles, is the publicity. Physical therapists and by association traveling physical therapists, are getting the praise they deserve for their hard work in rehabilitating these types of injuries. In virtually every article concerning yet another “Dancing with the Stars” injury, the celebrity mentions their rehabilitation treatment with a PT. This show is taking the “weekend warrior” trend to a whole new level.

As the show’s popularity increases, along with other physically demanding reality shows like it, there will undoubtedly be even more injuries for the public hear about and hopefully learn from. How much stress, strain and repetitive movements is the human body expected to endure, especially in a body not used to it? Stay tuned!

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.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Traveling physical therapists, travel occupational therapists and traveling speech language pathologists are in demand by hospitals and patients with increasingly complex medical needs across the country. Continuing education is a certification requirement for most health care providers. Perusing CE course listings is also a savvy way of staying current with your industry while receiving training in skill areas that patients need the most.

Specific patient populations in need of targeted rehabilitation therapy include children (sports injuries, increasing rate of autism), baby boomers (complications related to cardiac disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, back problems, weekend warriors) and the elderly (multiple medical conditions, increasing number of hospice and home care patients, fall prevention).

Here are some hot topics in continuing education for each area of rehabilitation therapy to research and register for locally or online.

Physical Therapy
Sport Safety for Children
Fall Prevention for the Elderly
Interventions for Low Back Pain
Family Caregivers Doing Double Duty

Occupational Therapy
Dizziness in the Elderly
Improving Critical Thinking Ability (the OT)
Hospice Concerns for OTs
Cultural Factors in Pain Management

Speech Therapy
Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention
Understanding Asperger Syndrome
Treating Adults Who Stutter
Intro to Interactive Metronome

Travel rehab therapists especially do not have the option of lapsing into a comfort zone in terms of skills, current research and field knowledge. With each assignment there are new expectations and standards from clinical settings and supervisors. Staying current with continuing education, via required CE credits as well as additional research and learning, is a valuable asset for traveling therapists.

Sources: TodayinPT, TodayinOT, American Speech-Language Hearing Association

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.

Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

As the title suggests, the job description and health care niche for traveling physical therapy nurses is a unique blend of nursing and physical therapy with the added excitement and learning experiences that come with a career in travel. After graduating from nursing school and passing their nursing boards, the aspiring physical therapy nurse must then complete a physical therapist nursing program approved by the American Physical Therapy Association.  The specialized training focuses on teaching the nurse how to restore patient function, increase mobility, manage pain and teach patients how to function with disabilities, especially in long term care settings.

Once graduated and certified, the traveling physical therapy nurse works alongside physical therapists in hospitals, long term care facilities, rehabilitation settings and many other clinical settings. This position is an exciting opportunity to combine the therapeutic care and critical thinking model associated with nursing, along with the rehabilitative functions of the physical therapist. In typical patient care scenarios, nurses are not directly involved in patient rehabilitation programs, handing off this responsibility to physical therapy when acute care is complete. A position as a traveling physical therapy nurse gives nurses the opportunity to follow through with patient care, watching as they take the next steps in restoring their desired quality of life.

For those wishing to explore this area of nursing, there has never been a better time to contact a travel agency recruiter. The demand for physical therapists, nurses and physical therapy nurses is high and expected to reach even greater heights as the aging population creates more and more new patients.

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.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Steve Jobs and his counterparts at Blackberry, Sidekick and all the other technological wonders that I personally do not own, are a physical therapist and occupational therapist’s dream come true. Opposable thumbs certainly have their benefits, however when hyper-flexed for long periods of time in the awkward positions required for texting, tweeting on Twitter, and jumping from “app” (application) to app elsewhere, thumbs can become seriously impaired. Repetitive movement of any joint can lead to joint, ligament, tendon and muscle problems. When those joints happen to be the ones that we humans use the most, in our fingers, a therapeutic solution becomes a necessity to relieve the pain and inflammation that results.

Fortunately for physical therapists and occupational therapists, America’s addiction with the phalangeal abuse associated with the latest and greatest technological gadgets appears to be gaining momentum. Traveling physical therapists and travel occupational therapists get to experience the benefits of treating “blackberry thumb” in exciting destinations across the country. Today in PT recently reported that physical therapists in Nevada are currently experiencing the highest average salary at $80,960. Physical therapists in California, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Texas, West Virginia and Alaska are also benefiting from the increasing demand for therapists and traveling physical therapists, along with the rising competitive salaries that accompany that demand.

Whether you are an experienced physical or occupational therapist or a new graduate, if you have a taste for travel and a thirst for new learning experiences, a career as a traveling rehabilitation therapist may be just what you’re looking for. If you are considering a travel career, now is the time to act (visit our “apply now” page for more information). As Americans continue to text and Twitter their way to repetitive use injuries, along with the plethora of other conditions requiring rehab therapy, the demand for traveling therapists will only increase.

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.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists who take advantage of stimulating travel therapy assignments to exciting destinations, also experience many opportunities to give back to the communities they visit. Rehab therapists regularly accept assignments working in all-sized communities from the most bustling cities to the most rural town settings. Travel therapists can act as an objective set of eyes and ears as well as an educational resource for the people of the community.

True to its name, World Autism Day, marked earlier this month on April 2nd raises worldwide awareness about the prevalence of Autism and its associated spectrum of disorders. Travel rehab therapists work with children who suffer from autism on a regular basis and therefore are in a unique position to raise awareness year round. There is a proven special need for raising autism awareness in smaller communities. Without the proper medical guidance and availability of public health information, the behavioral, speech and physical symptoms of autism are often misconstrued as a shy or misbehaving child. The travel therapist is in the valuable position to separate fact from myth and connect the child with the help they need to improve their prognosis and quality of life.

Every travel assignment taken on by a physical therapist, occupational therapist and speech therapist comes with its own distinctive set of challenges as well as caregiving opportunities. The power to educate members of a smaller town or community is the power to improve the lives of the residents in it.

Physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists who take advantage of stimulating travel therapy assignments to exciting destinations, also experience many opportunities to give back to the communities they visit. Rehab therapists regularly accept assignments working in all-sized communities from the most bustling cities to the most rural town settings. Travel therapists can act as an objective set of eyes and ears as well as an educational resource for the people of the community.

True to its name, World Autism Day, marked earlier this month on April 2nd raises worldwide awareness about the prevalence of Autism and its associated spectrum of disorders. Travel rehab therapists work with children who suffer from autism on a regular basis and therefore are in a unique position to raise awareness year round. There is a proven special need for raising autism awareness in smaller communities. Without the proper medical guidance and availability of public health information, the behavioral, speech and physical symptoms of autism are often misconstrued as a shy or misbehaving child. The travel therapist is in the valuable position to separate fact from myth and connect the child with the help they need to improve their prognosis and quality of life.

Every travel assignment taken on by a physical therapist, occupational therapist and speech therapist comes with its own distinctive set of challenges as well as caregiving opportunities. The power to educate members of a smaller town or community is the power to improve the lives of the residents in it.

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.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

I would have to say that the large metal rod and giant screws keeping my spine in place reminds me every day that a healthy back is a very important part of life. When I was 19, I underwent Harrington Rod surgery to correct my extremely severe scoliosis from a combined curvature of 116 degrees to its present curve of 68 degrees. As I worked with my outpatient physical therapist for several months following the surgery, I was reminded of the usually sturdy skeletal centerpiece that largely holds the rest of our body together.

The effects of an ailing or disabled spine are far reaching, affecting the neurological, circulatory, muscular, and skeletal systems. At last count, in 2005 the portion of Americans suffering from some type of back pain had risen to 15 percent (JAMA). Physical therapists have likely seen all of the major causes of back pain and then some. They include obesity (also on the rise), a sedentary lifestyle, lack of core strength, injury from misuse and trauma. Most back pain is located in the lower back, the area absorbing the brunt of daily activity (or inactivity in the case of chronic sitters).

Fortunately for physical therapists and traveling physical therapists who get to see a diverse sampling of back pain patients in popular travel pt destinations across the country, people don’t seem to be learning the essential lessons of maintaining a healthy back. As an orthopedic nurse I learned that most patients have the attitude that it’s okay to abuse and misuse their spine because surgery will fix anything. Even the surgeons don’t have that attitude because it is simply not true. Surgery is not the cure all for everything. Ask one of the residents of VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab”, Jeff Conaway, whose on camera debate with Dr. Drew concluded with the well-known physician telling Conaway that another surgery was simply not an option for the star, who had already undergone years of spinal surgeries, only to remain in chronic pain.

This is the case for countless Americans and thankfully, physical therapists and traveling physical therapists have solutions for individuals with chronic back pain. The solutions include both daily exercises to keep the pain at bay as well as treatments and additional therapeutic exercises for acute flare ups.

Although they were sometimes referred to as “drug seekers” by other medical staff, I always felt sympathy for the “frequent flyers” who would visit the orthopedic floor sometimes monthly for an epidural IV of morphine or other strong pain medicine. I literally felt their pain and I am thankful for physical therapists, who are there to provide a user’s manual to the back, reminding us that movement is sometimes just what the doctor ordered.

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.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

The assistant and aides who work alongside physical therapists and travel physical therapists can expect career opportunities to steadily increase as the demand for physical therapy rises.  Physical therapy assistants and aides have clearly differentiated sets of responsibilities and differing training requirements but the healthcare industry’s need for their services is equally great. Both jobs work under the direct supervision of physical therapists.

Physical Therapy Assistant

Work Settings: Primarily in physical therapy offices or hospitals but also in nursing homes, physician offices, outpatient facilities and in home health.

Job Responsibilities may include: patient exercises, massages, hot and cold pack application, traction, ultrasound and charting and reporting of patient response to therapist

Education/Training: Typically an associate degree in a combination academic and hands-on clinical program, with licensing required by some states

Salary and Career Outlook: $45,000 per year. Better hiring prospects than aides; for both careers, however, employment is projected to increase by 29 percent by 2016. This is mainly attributed to the growing elderly population who require rehab therapy services.

Physical Therapy Aide:

Work Settings: Primarily in physical therapy offices or hospitals but also in nursing homes, physician offices, outpatient facilities and in home health.

Job Responsibilities may include: organizing and preparing treatment area for therapy session, transferring patients; because aides are not licensed, they are not allowed to undertake clinical tasks.

Education/Training: Mostly on the job training by employer, in addition to a high school diploma

Salary and Career Outlook: $28,000 per year. Prospects are not quite as good as for assistants simply because there is a greater level of competition for aide jobs. For both careers, however, employment is projected to increase by 29 percent by 2016. This is mainly attributed to the growing elderly population who require rehab therapy services

The best news of all is that opportunities for traveling physical therapy assistants and traveling physical therapy aides are also on the rise. Rehab therapy professionals in these roles can enjoy all the benefits of travel assignments to their dream destinations while gaining valuable skills and experience and possibly working towards the next step in their therapy career!

*Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

The demand for traveling rehabilitation therapists – in physical, occupational and speech therapy – has not been even remotely hampered by these challenging economic times. Travel professionals in these fields have more career choices than ever. Healthcare providers in these vital and rewarding fields have earned opportunities through extensive education, dedication to their patients and a commitment to gaining continuous experience rehabilitation patients and improving their quality of life. Therefore, rehabilitation therapists might enjoy considering passing along some of their knowledge and passion for their profession, to the next generation.

Whether they choose to personally mentor a physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology assistant or student in training or participate in a high school career day, acting as a professional role model for aspiring therapists can be a mutually rewarding endeavor. For the traveling rehabilitation therapist, mentoring can be an excellent way to pass the time between assignments while investing in the physical, occupational or speech therapy profession and giving back.

Volunteer Ideas:

• Contact your local school system and get their schedule of upcoming career day events; volunteer to participate!

• Contact the Career Services department of local colleges and universities and do the same. I can attest from personal experience that folks at Career services love to involve professionals from the community in fun career oriented student outreach events!

• Look up any local job skill training and development programs and do the same

• Contact any physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy schools in your area and volunteer your services as an in class guest speaker (as needed of course)

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.