National Physical Therapy Month

Tuesday, October 27, 2015
 
     National Physical Therapy Month is hosted by American Physical Therapy Association each October to recognize how physical therapists and physical therapist assistants help transform society by restoring and improving motion in people's lives.
 
National Staffing Solutions supported APTA's 2015 #AgeWell Campaign by posting tips that physical therapists could share with their patients. If you would like to help spread awareness, our posts can be found on Twitter or Instagram.
Just follow @National_Staff!
 

      In honor of National Physical Therapy Month, we reached out to one of our newest travel DPT to highlight his current experience, discuss the benefits and rewards, and share his personal growth in his chosen career path.  
 
As a new graduate from Lynchburg College Class of 2015, he was recently placed in a Skilled Nursing Facility for his first travel assignment with National Staffing Solutions by "the best Recruiter in the biz - Miss Christine Jericha Dion".
 
  • How many assignments have you been placed with National Staffing Solutions? Which location has been your favorite to work and explore?

“I have been placed on one assignment so far in Rockford, IL. While this city itself isn’t one where I would recommend everyone see, it is a convenient location to exploring Chicago, Milwaukee, and only a few hours away from my home town.”

  • What is most rewarding about your profession?

“By far the most rewarding aspect of our profession is getting to see patients' lives changed for the better due to the combined effort of their hard work and the hours of studying and preparation I put in to make sure it’s done effectively.”

  • There are many different roles that a Physical Therapist can choose to specify in. Before accepting your first contracted assignment, did you already have an area of specialization in mind?

“After I graduated PT school, I felt my heart and passion was in outpatient orthopedics, but have opened my options to multiple settings to gain the experience and perspective of working with the human body at different ages and pathologies.”

  • Choosing to be a traveling therapist exposes you to a variety of roles and settings. With a 13 week contract, you have just the right amount of time to determine what you like most? Can you share with us what you’ve discovered about your preferences?

“I realized there is a huge value in spending a short amount of time in multiple settings (that I may or may not see myself working full time in) that can improve my overall skills in the future as an outpatient therapist due to having seen the full continuum of care of multiple conditions.”

  • What are some of the benefits being a contracted therapist? Why should new grads or other therapists consider this growing travel healthcare industry?

“When I was looking into becoming a contract therapist during school, the main stimulus was the increased pay to help me clean up my student loan debt. While that remains true, more importantly I found the greatest benefit is the ability to gain experience from multiple settings, individual clinics, therapist treatment styles/techniques, company policies/procedures, and patient populations. I am confident if/when I stop traveling, I will be much better equipped and prepared to be an effective therapist than my peers in permanent settings who have been restricted to one experience. There’s only so much you can learn from a textbook, the rest you have to just go out and experience it!”

  • Working short-term in several cities can be challenging. Have you faced any obstacles while on assignment? How did you overcome them?

“Moving from city to city can be challenging and definitely isn’t for everybody. However, if you have a personality where you feel comfortable being in new situations and meeting new people like I have, than the opportunities are endless as to what you can go see and do. I personally (and highly recommend) get involved with a local church in each new city I go to and so far every time I met people my age and who shared similar interests and were more than happy to show me around and invite into their circle of friends."

  • The relationship and support you have with your recruiter ensures things will run smoothly before, during, and in the transition to your next assignment. What advice can you give about searching for the right staffing company and eventually accepting an assignment that fits all your needs?

“Probably the biggest and most difficult question I had trouble answering was what company/recruiter combo I wanted to run with. My best advice is educate yourself first by doing your homework and reading reviews/forums/discussion boards until you’re sick of reading because KNOWLEDGE IS KEY in this business as it is in any business, then ask around to people in the field (preferably not a recruiter) to answer your questions and concerns..."


If you would like to share your travel assignment experiences with National Staffing Solutions, please email Marketing@NationalStaff.com.
 
We have Recruiters for Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Nursing, and Advanced Practice that are knowledgeable in the industry and are determined to creating a lasting relationship with you while working with us!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Leanne Leuterio
10/27/2015

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