Best Setting for Introverted Physical Therapist

[doubled2000]

So far, I have worked at two different out-patient physical therapy clinics as a physical therapy aide and I was unhappy with my experiences with both of them. They were extremely busy and required you to be constantly interacting with patients (there wasn't much "treatment" actually involved). Unfortunately, I found it exhausting and it just didn't fit my personality at all. It seemed almost as if the main focus was to keep the patient entertained, which is not what I'm looking to do. I want just want to be able to treat and help the patient, and having minimal small talk. I'm definitely not the most social and outgoing person, but I love helping people and being hands-on. What would be the best setting that fits someone like me?

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[thesport78]

Acute or subacute rehab jumped out to me. You'd be able to spend quality one-on-one time with patients and won't be as fast-paced. Maybe even home health!


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[callmecrazy]

I think there's also a big difference between being an aide and a therapist in that setting. As the therapist, you should be friendly but your conversation should be focused on treatment. If left alone with a patient as an aide, your options are pretty much small talk or silence.

 

[truthseeker]

in order to effectively treat ANY patient you have to interact with them. In order for them to get better, you have to somehow motivate them to do what you ask when you leave them. They have to understand WHY you are asking them to do what you want them to do. If that is overwhelming to you, I might suggest a different profession. PTs are teachers as much as anything. We rarely "fix" things. there are examples of that but for the most part, we assess, teach, re-teach, and motivate. If you are looking for a setting where it is passive treatment, ICU/acute care/long term care might be the place for you. Or massage therapy. Or accounting.

 

[jesspt]

Your ability to interact with your patients will impact their outcome regardless of the setting.

http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/90/8/1099

 

[NewTestament]

PTs are teachers as much as anything. We rarely "fix" things. there are examples of that but for the most part, we assess, teach, re-teach, and motivate.

Exactly. We are not mechanics as much as we are consultants.

An introvert is someone who needs to be alone to recharge, not someone who is anti-social and can't interact with others. I'm technically an introvert but I like the patient interaction. It's probably the best part of the job.

To answer the OP's question, outpatient would be the worst setting if you're an introvert. You're expected to interact and chat with your patients during rehab. If you don't, your job will be boring and patients won't have a great experience. If you want to minimize that interaction, then I recommend inpatient or SNF. Even then, you still need to be personable.

When I first started observing other PT's, I was very introverted with poor interaction skills and I knew nothing about customer service. I re-invented myself and now I'm gregarious and friendly.

 

[Bones26]

I think any setting could fulfill what you're looking for. Honestly, I've worked in multiple settings, and I've learned to keep the small talk at a minimum. It makes it much easier to keep the focus on the treatment and maintain an appropriate PT/client relationship.

If you are looking for a setting where it is passive treatment, ICU/acute care/long term care might be the place for you.

I strongly disagree with this. Skilled therapy is by definition at least somewhat interactive and participatory, no matter the setting. I work primarily in an ICU, and it's anything but passive. It's a little unfair to reduce PT in these settings to "passive treatment". If that's been your experience, it just sounds like lazy therapists and fraudulent billing.

 

[SloanTriumph]

Neuro/ Traumatic brain injury.

 

[DesertPT]

I don't buy the whole are you an introvert or an extrovert thing. Categorizing people this way is a fundamentally flawed construct. All people possess some characteristics of each and lie somewhere on the spectrum. And for most of us, where we lie on that spectrum changes frequently and is very setting-specific/circumstance-dependent. I don't believe their is any correlation between how "introverted" or "extroverted" you are and how successful you are as a PT.

As was said above with that PTJ article, forming a therapeutic alliance with the patient is a totally different matter than you being a gregarious person. The patient needs to trust your expertise and be willing to comfortably rely on you as a consultant, but they don't need to be your BFF. I have seen patients who you could tell thought their super friendly therapist was a "cool dude" but still had no buy in to the actual treatment whatsoever. These patients might want to keep coming to session after session of therapy because they have fun joking around and being buds with the therapist, but they are totally non-compliant with their HEP and take forever to get better.

Additionally, some patients will respond much better to a mellow therapist than a hyper-sociable one. Some patients would prefer to not make any small talk at all. All therapists, regardless of personality type, are going to have some patients they click with and some they don't. If PT really is what you are looking for in a professional career, I'm confident you can find a setting and patient population that works well for you.

 

[truthseeker]

I think any setting could fulfill what you're looking for. Honestly, I've worked in multiple settings, and I've learned to keep the small talk at a minimum. It makes it much easier to keep the focus on the treatment and maintain an appropriate PT/client relationship.



I strongly disagree with this. Skilled therapy is by definition at least somewhat interactive and participatory, no matter the setting. I work primarily in an ICU, and it's anything but passive. It's a little unfair to reduce PT in these settings to "passive treatment". If that's been your experience, it just sounds like lazy therapists and fraudulent billing.

When I said ICU I specifically had comatose patients in mind. didn't mean to offend. all good PT is active and demands the participation of the patient.

 

[Bones26]

When I said ICU I specifically had comatose patients in mind. didn't mean to offend. all good PT is active and demands the participation of the patient.

Not offended...it just seems uninformed. I've never, ever worked with someone who wasn't awake, alert and following commands (much to the chagrin of some nurses and/or doctors who don't understand or care about the role of PT in ICU...it's not to provide PROM or dependent transfers.)

 

[CherokeeWahine]

I can only speak from my own experience, but as a very introverted individual, I actually find outpatient ortho to be the best setting for me. I don't have to collaborate with a large team of other healthcare providers (such as in a SNF or hospital setting). I just get to focus on one patient at a time. I am very good at one-on-one treatment and having a conversation with one patient at a time, but I tend to flounder in larger group settings (again, this is just my own experience).

 

[SloanTriumph]

I've worked at a SNF that focused on treating TBI's. there's less stress with dealing with patients since patients aren't as aware due to their injuries. not trying to be crude, just saying.

 

[Ndebt]

We all get tired of dealing with the general population and need to recharge from time to time. The term introvert is used as a word which basically represents shyness or lack of confidence. Giving it a label like it's some kind of condition does not empower you to do anything about it. I would suggest taking actions to gain confidence or to become "extrovert" so you can properly do your job rather than seek one that requires no interaction with others because it doesn't exist. When you get home for the day that's when you can recharge.

 

[Ndebt]

I've worked at a SNF that focused on treating TBI's. there's less stress with dealing with patients since patients aren't as aware due to their injuries. not trying to be crude, just saying.

That's terrible lol


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[CherokeeWahine]

.

 

[Azimuthal]

I've worked at a SNF that focused on treating TBI's. there's less stress with dealing with patients since patients aren't as aware due to their injuries. not trying to be crude, just saying.

You mean, you don't get the patients that require max redirecting due to attention deficits, or the inappropriate ones who masturbate while ogling nurses, or grabs nurses and puts them in head locks?

 

[SloanTriumph]

I mean stress as in social anxiety

 

[astarblaze]

The term introvert is used as a word which basically represents shyness or lack of confidence.

Introversion and shyness/social anxiety are distinct and separate. I'm introverted, but not shy, and I know many others who are the same. I also know extroverted individuals who happen to have social anxiety. It's certainly possible to improve social anxiety, but introversion/extroversion relate more to how your system perceives stimuli, and thus aren't something you could just change through "taking actions." Nor is introversion a defect or deficit that needs to be "fixed."

 

[truthseeker]

my understanding is that introverts recharge by being alone, extroverts recharge by being among others. has nothing to do with shyness or gregariousness, self esteem or lack of it.

 

[ranvier]

Pediatrics?