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

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

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

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

Physical restraints, in my experience, are a touchy subject for any nurse who works or has ever worked in a nursing home, myself included. I would never question the ethics and emotional issues of restraining another human being, nor would I ever condone the actions of nursing homes and facilities that “over-restrain” patients and residents, simply for their own personal convenience.

However, perhaps I have, with the help of my dedicated CNAs, picked one too many patients off the floor and sent them to the ER with broken hips and femurs, surgeries for which can drastically shorten the length and quality of life. By time the bed alarm implanted in the mattress (an alternated to physical restraints) went off and we rushed to the disoriented patient’s room, the damage was done. Confused elderly patients, whether from pathological dementia, medication or otherwise, are a reality for geriatric nurses. The issue of restraints, the theory of what “should” be versus what actually is, continues, as it should, to spark discussions in nursing homes and hospitals across the country.

This is why I was pleased to learn about the proactive role physical therapists and traveling physical therapists are taking to reduce the need for physical restraints in elderly nursing home residents or patients in other clinical settings. Physical therapists work with residents to improve overall balance, level of physical fitness and coordination to prevent the falls that occur with simple daily ambulation around the facility. Therapists can also play a key role in the decision to implement assistive devices such as non-slip covers on chair seats and no-skid soles on socks.

Whether or not the question of using physical restraints is ever completed answered, it’s good to see healthcare providers including physical therapists work as a team, creating alternate solutions to keep elderly patients safe.

Physical therapists and other traveling rehabilitation therapists: what are your experiences with physical restraints in nursing home and residents of other facilities? Have you observed any improvement in balance, coordination or other factors in your patients that might reduce the need for restraints? What others techniques or special equipment have you seen implemented in facilities, while working in travel assignments that assist in this area?

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

(Blogger disclaimer: this information is intended to report a trend in rehabilitation therapy and does not constitute a product endorsement of any kind).

Traveling physical therapists and traveling occupational therapists may have noticed a new type of rehabilitation system called the Primus RS during the course of their travel assignments. The Primus is a computer-based piece of therapy equipment that produces 3D images to chart the performance of physical therapy, athletic training and exercise therapy patients. The system can replicate daily personal and work related functional activities, has testing and treatment capabilities, and allows the rehabilitation therapist to customize their patient’s treatment regimen. Hospitals, nursing homes and other rehabilitation therapy settings across the country are reportedly installing the Primus to keep pace with the rapid progress of rehabilitation therapy and remain competitive with other facilities and programs.

Travel therapists ultimately benefit from this type of healthy competition, enjoying the perks of using the latest and greatest in rehabilitation technology with their patients. Equipment in all areas of medicine is going digital, becoming increasingly fine tuned, multi-functional and providing instant feedback for the therapist and patient. Computer driven systems like the Primus allow rehab therapists to chart patients progress, monitor results in real time and share data with the rest of the patient care team including the physician. As medical technology advances, physical and occupational therapists could potentially see better patient therapy outcomes than ever before.

Traveling therapists: Have you encountered the Primus RS or similarly cutting edge rehabilitation equipment? Share your experiences with technological advances in your field that excite you the most.

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

As a briefly aspiring little figure skater, I was thrilled when my parents took me to see the Ice Capades, starring Olympic gold medalist and superstar Dorothy Hamill. I was so inspired by Ms. Hamill’s performance that my mom says I slept with a souvenir button from the show pinned to my pajamas and promptly bought a Dorothy Hamill doll.  The doll ultimately outlasted my figure skating ambitions, but for many young children those dreams of athletic superstardom never fade.  Each day, committed kids across the country wake up early and put their little bodies through the paces of demanding athletic and fitness regimens, all in the hopes of making their Olympic or professional sports dreams come true someday.

I will admit that growing up, watching kids my age compete in the Olympics was very exciting.  Later in life after studying the way the human body works, however, the glamour wore off a bit.  I started seeing those little, actively growing bodies hurling through the air over and over and landing on one leg, as injuries waiting to happen.

The increasing number of stress fractures physical therapists are seeing and clinicians are studying in child and adolescent athletes, seems to validate my concerns.  A 2006 study* of stress fractures in competitive child athletes (subjects with actively developing skeletal systems) concluded that the majority of stress fractures in younger athletes are seen in the lower extremities.  Endurance sports and sports requiring “sudden stops” contributed to the poorest clinical outcomes.

The role of the physical therapist in treating these injuries includes working on range of motion exercises on the affected body parts, core strength and non-weight bearing exercises in a swimming pool.  The physical therapist will also encourage their young patient not to jump right back into their usual rigorous athletic and fitness routine, but to take it slow so they don’t re-injure themselves.

Skilled physical therapists and therapists working in travel PT jobs, have a unique opportunity to help competitive young athletes recover from injury safely and get back in the game again.  And with kids begging their parents to get in the game earlier and earlier in life, ongoing research in the area of pediatric stress fractures and other sports-related injuries will certainly have an impact on the physical therapy industry.

*Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, August 2006

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

America’s courageous fighting men and women confront a variety of physical and occupational rehabilitation needs upon their return home. With wars being fought in many locations around the world, in addition to the daily dangers faced by our soldiers protecting several other international outposts, the number and severity of injuries are veterans are coming home with require comprehensive medical care.

Occupational and physical therapists play a critical role in caring for and rehabilitating our wounded veterans. Very often, injuries sustained in battle result in a drastic change in the quality of life for the returning vet. In those cases, the role of the rehabilitation therapist is to help the individual reintegrate back into their life as best as possible and with the best new quality of life possible. Another physical and occupational therapy need of recovering soldiers is learning to use prosthetic devices in cases of amputation.

In some ways, the job description of a physical or occupational therapist working with military patients hardly differs from the work they do with civilian patients. Military.com reports that back pain, whether chronic or from acute battle injuries, is a common reason soldiers are treated by physical therapists. These rehabilitation focused members of the medical team are a valuable addition to the military. Many physical therapists travel to the places where soldiers need them the most, whether in domestic clinical settings like Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. or international posts. As long as our soldiers are risking life and limb to defend America, traveling physical therapists and travel occupational therapists will be an integral part of transition back to civilian 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.