Just started volunteering in a PT office, need advice

[nodeal22]

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I just started volunteering at an office, and I can tell you after my first day that my biggest weakness is engaging with the patients. I'm naturally not a talkative person and I'm not comfortable interacting with people I don't know. I'm more the type that keeps to myself.

It's not that I'm unfriendly -- most people who know me would say I'm a nice guy -- it's just that I'm bad at small talk and I felt like I didn't appear comfortable or relaxed in front of the patients. It's probably because it was my first day ever doing something like that, but I really need to step up my game and overcome a lot of thing.

Since I'm just volunteering for the first time ever, can you guys offer me some answers to questions such as: What are good questions to be asking the doctor? What are some good questions to be asking the patient as it relates to their injury? What are some good pieces of small talk you guys use with the patient to keep the atmosphere relaxed? How do you keep the patient feeling comfortable throughout their visit?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[Akiramay]

First off, don't worry, it's natural to feel that way if you are not used to it. Feeling comfortable engaging with any stranger takes time but it will come to you with experience. 🙂 I always try to talk to my patients about things that I find out after their interview/initial eval, such as their occupation, children, or hobbies. If you feel nervous, you can rely on asking the other person questions and having them talk. Or, you can say a little about yourself which may make the other person open up about themselves too! You can let them know where you went to school, why and when you started volunteering there, your hobbies, etc. Even small talk about a tv show you're going to watch later that day can be good because that person may say, "Oh, I watch that show too! Did you see last week's episode?" And you can build on your conversation from there. 🙂 Good luck!

 

[Fiveoboy11]

If you have this problem in general and wish to pursue a career in physical therapy I strongly suggest you speak with your physician about this or see a psychiatrist. Otherwise this wouldn't be out of the ordinary. I would recommend not talking to patients too much about their presenting conditions as it quickly escalates into a conversation that will be out of your scope and in my experience patient's feel it is appropriate to ask clinical questions to just about anybody. Unfortunately, many field the questions, don't be one of them. Also, I would feel free to ask the PT any questions you really want answered, don't just ask questions to ask questions. Be genuine. If you're not interested, then leave. I also strongly recommend against engaging patients in conversation while they are performing active treatment (i.e. exercise). If you were pre-med shadowing, would you walk into an inpatient patient room and turn off their IV, and then start a conversation?

 

[djb051]

I find the opposite to be true of what was said above. Often patients will start ongoing conversations with me while they are exercising. If that happens, you should not just not respond especially if they are doing a non-strenous exercise. If you need ideas about how to start a conversation, be observant of the patients. Look at printed t-shirts that they are wearing or magazines they may be reading, ect. A lot of conversations can be started on things like this, like saying "so you like ____ football team?" Most people love to talk about themselves so just ask them open-ended questions that require more than just a yes or no answer.

 

[francium]

I agree with djb051. I'm pretty shy myself, but during my observation hours it was pretty much inevitable that the patients would talk to me, especially after the PT said, "This is a student named francium, is it okay if she observes today?" Those patients would start firing questions at me even during their exercises, "Yeah sure, so how long till you graduate? How old are you? Are you married? Good don't get married it'll get in the way of your education." After a week of this, I got more comfortable initiating conversations. Maybe I was just lucky I encountered the older, curious patients first. 🙂

 

[DPTHopeful921]

see a psychiatrist? thats about the worst piece of advice given for this situation. Nodeal22 just has a case of shyness and just needs to get settled into the place they are observing. You don't just walk into a PT clinic on your first day of observation and act like you own the joint and dominate all the conversation. But nodeal22 def doesn't need to seek medical attention from his/her physician or seek out the help of a psychiatrist. I couldn't imagine if you were a pre-med student and how you would diagnose your patients- would they all end up seeing a psychiatrist? Seems like it, esp if that is your treatment for some shyness. Don't worry nodeal22, you'll be fine once you settle in and get comfortable.

 

[NewTestament]

I don't think you need a psychiatrist. The purpose of observation hours is to get a feel for the profession, and see what PTs do everyday. If your interpersonal skills are weak now, that's okay. Make a habit of engaging people in conversation. It's better to develop interpersonal skills now than during one of your clinical rotations. My interpersonal skills weren't that good two years ago but my several hundred hours of experience in PT settings have definitely improved them.

Try to find things that you have in common with patients, start a conversation, and the patients will appreciate you. Nobody wants a stoic and boring PT.

Kevin

 

[callmecrazy]

Don't stress, you aren't there to chat up the patients anyways. The best question you can ask is to ask the PT/staff how you can be helpful. They will be more likely to get you involved that way, and you will get a lot more out of your time there. Don't fret over having questions for the therapist either; these will come naturally after spending more time in a setting.

 

[nodeal22]

thanks for the advice guys. So far I've completed 4 days of volunteering and I'm growing more comfortable interacting with the patients. This experience I'm gaining is extremely valuable. Thanks again guys!

 

[drm66]

Hey I have volunteered many places, but until I was at a location for more than a a week or two it got better. You get closer with the patients and build a relationship.

A great tip to start off with any patient is to ask ' If you don't mind could you share with me your injury? I'm a student at ___/ or want to do PT and I'd love to know'. That usually shows respect and builds your rapport. You never know what mood someone will be in the first time you meet them, or what their personality is like.
Also some people will not want to talk about their injuries unless they are on a more positive side of therapy and recovering. So asking initially gives you a heads up on what their situation is.

hot topics that will never do you wrong:
food- endless conversation; talk about restaurants, cooking, etc
weather- never gets old....well maybe
traveling- unless they are children, they most likely have traveled;if not, talk about local events and the area or if they have suggestions for any restaurants

Don't forget, smile and have fun! Some patients will be looking forward to that!