Interview with a physical therapist

1. Conducted with: Jordan Bradosky, PT, DPT
Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, MT
10/24/2016
INFORMATIONAL
INTERVIEW

2. A: Graduate from an accredited Doctorate of Physical Therapy
program
 Evaluates patients and recommends appropriate treatment plan,
based on physical therapy standards of care
 Assess patient pain, makes appropriate referrals for intervention
 Treats patients and their families with respect and dignity.
Identifies and addresses psychosocial, cultural, ethnic and
religious/spiritual needs
 Manages and operates equipment safely
 Coordinates and directs patient care to ensure patients’ needs are
met and hospital policy is followed.
 Consults other departments as appropriate to collaborate in
patient care and performance improvement activities.
 Documentation meets current standards and policies.
 Participates in educational staff in-services.
 Knowledge of medications and their correct administration based
on age of patient and clinical condition.
 Demonstrates the ability to deal with a variety of people, deal with
stressful situations, and handle conflict.
1. Q: WHAT TRAINING OR EDUCATION IS
REQUIRED FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK?

3. A: I had to apply online through the Benefis
employment center. I then followed up with an email
and called them to be sure they received my
application and resume. When they confirmed they had
received it, I set up a date and time for an in person
interview and was prepared with copies of my resume.
I met the acute care manager for a more formal
interview and then received a tour of the facility and
met another physical therapist who asked questions
and gave me the tour. I heard back from
administration within 1 week.
2. Q: WHAT ARE TYPICAL HIRING
PROCEDURES?

4. A: In the acute care setting of physical therapy it is pertinent
to have a solid foundation in not only having the ability to read
and interpret a variety of diagnoses, but have the ability to
diagnosis and then come up with an optimal treatment plan
for each individual patient. You must have knowledge at not
only the superficial level, but you must also have the ability
have a deeper understanding of the clinical picture for each
patient -- understanding labs, vitals, ventilators, equipment,
and physiological responses to physical activity based on the
patient’s diagnosis and co-morbidities.
 Most facilities require a new graduate to be a licensed
physical therapist (passed their boards) and have graduated
from an accredited DPT graduate school.
 You must also pass the state boards as each state has their
own practice laws for physical therapy.
 Any state that you work in requires Continuing Education
Units (CEUs) anywhere from 25-35 hours of attending
conferences, classes, or being an APTA member. These CEUs
are randomly audited every 2 years.
3. Q: WHAT AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE ARE MOST
IMPORTANT FOR ADVANCEMENT IN THIS FIELD?
WHAT DEGREES? CERTIFICATION?

5. A: If I were to go back in time leading up to the
setting I am in now.. as a student, I would of asked to
see more surgeries such as cardiac and brain surgery
and asked more questions to the surgeons about why
they set certain precautions or limitations to patients
post operatively. What physiological response
happens if a person were to go against those
precautions with out of bed activity, because some
surgeons place patients on “bed rest” for 24 hours
and I am unsure as to why.
4. Q: IF YOU WERE STARTING OUT AGAIN,
WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY?

6. A: I have a caseload of roughly 7-10 patients per day. There is no
scheduled appointments however it is important to prioritize
patients based on reading. During patient care I look at the
clinical presentation of each individual patient, assess pain and
vitals, and then make clinical decisions on the treatment plan for
the day to improve functional mobility--increasing endurance,
ambulating with the least restrictive assistive device,
strengthening, improving range of motion, teaching patients how
to utilize an assistive device, provide education on any precautions
and then make recommendations to doctors and to transitional
care planners . We have daily rounds I attend every day where I
meet with a few hospitalists, respiratory therapist, pharmacist,
speech therapist, nutritionist, hospice care provider, and
transitional care planner. After patient care I document this
information in the Meditech documentation system where all care
providers involved in the patient care can read our notes.
5. Q: WHAT DO YOU DO ON A TYPICAL DAY IN
THIS POSITION?

7. A: In the field I’m in, the majority of patients do not want to
be in the hospital and are very sick unless they opted for
elective surgery such a patient who had scheduled a total knee
or total hip replacement. So in this aspect it is challenging to
get patients to understand the benefits of early mobility and
how quickly they can lose functional mobility without physical
therapy. It is a challenge to motivate patients to become
independent with their functional daily activities—most
patients want to be waited on and understandably so as they
are sick, however this will not get them better. On the other
hand it is most satisfying and rewarding to see patients
overcome pain and obstacles and to watch them progress and
to get set on the right path toward reaching their goals of their
prior level of function.
6. Q: WHAT PART OF THIS JOB DO YOU FIND
THE MOST CHALLENGING OR SATISFYING?

8. A: Currently the opioid epidemic is a hot topic.
We see several individuals are hospitalized
and some who are in critical care from
dependency on pain medications of which
doctor’s either over prescribe or individuals
abuse.
7. Q: WHAT ARE THE “HOT ISSUES” IN THIS
FIELD?

9. A: I work 40 hours a week, typically from
7:15am - 3:15pm. We are required to work 1
weekend a month and during that weekend we
get a day off the week prior and a day off the
week after. My hours are fairly flexible since
we do not have specified appointments that a
patient has made. I have also been working a
lot of overtime at another facility within the
Benefis System at Senior care services to help
pay off loans…. sometimes from 3:30pm -
7:00pm during the weekdays.
8. Q: HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU TYPICALLY WORK EACH
WEEK? DO YOU OFTEN WORK IN THE EVENINGS OR
WEEKENDS? CAN YOU ARRANGE YOUR OWN HOURS?

10. A: Starting salary for a new DPT graduate is
$55,000, but that is in Great Falls, MT. My
other fellow new grads have a starting salary
of $65,000. Average salary for a physical
therapist is $82,000. It really depends on
years experience, setting, and location of
where you live (cost of living)
9. Q: WHAT IS A TYPICAL STARTING SALARY?
AVERAGE SALARY? OTHER BENEFITS?

11. A: Yes, but it depends on which setting you
want to work. Senior Care Services/ Geriatrics
will likely be the highest demand and best
paying position wherever someone lives as
these are the jobs that not many young
graduates want to work.
10. Q: IS THERE A DEMAND FOR PEOPLE IN
THIS ORGANIZATION?

12. A: There are several people within the hospital setting that are
not very “up-to-date” on the degree we receive as a physical
therapist. Many hospitalists are fairly clueless as to why a
patient needs physical therapy or what the purpose of physical
therapy is.. this is something I have recently noticed in
rounding with several other health care professionals. I see
this as a problem because without an understanding of our
background, education, and how evidence based we truly are,
they may think physical therapists are not necessary and that
anybody without our education can do our job. Most people in
the hospital think that all we do in the hospital is “walk
patients” , which can be very frustrating at times. I think the
PT world needs to reach out other health care professionals to
provide a deeper understanding on our profession.
11. Q: WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS YOU SEE
WORKING IN THIS FIELD?

13. A: The physical therapy profession for the future is promising.
The world of physical therapy unfortunately is sometimes
dictated by medicare/ Medicaid insurance rules—I foresee it
will become more of a challenge to allow patients to get
covered by their insurance and to advocate for patients and
demonstrate a need for their continued physical therapy.
 As a new grad I think working in the hospital setting is a
good starting position as it allows a physical therapist to see
and treat a wide variety of diagnoses. It also gives the
opportunity to see where most patients start their physical
therapy prior to coming to an outpatient clinic or transitional
care. It gives the opportunity to communicate with doctors
and a range of health care professionals that you may never
get the chance for in an outpatient position.
 Any area that a physical therapist decides to work will allow
for growth and opportunity.
12. Q: HOW WOULD YOU EVALUATE THE FUTURE OF THIS CAREER
FIELD? HOW DO YOU SEE JOBS IN THIS FIELD CHANGING IN THE
FUTURE? WHAT AREAS DO YOU FEEL PROMISE THE MOST
OPPORTUNITY? THE MOST GROWTH?

14. A: Remember to always develop a rapport with
your patient first and foremost. It makes
working with each patient a whole lot easier as
they become more apt to intently listen to you
and follow your advice. Remember to
communicate well with the patient and ask
open ended questions.
While in school, don’t be afraid to ask
questions!
13. Q: WHAT SPECIAL ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE A PERSON ENTERING IN THIS FIELD?

15. A: As an acute care therapist I wish I would
have known some the challenges of working
around some of the obstacles of patient care
such as a patient who is incontinent or has
severe dementia. It is sometimes difficult to
accomplish the treatment plan for the day or
even work towards their functional goals due
to these obstacles.
14. Q: WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DO YOU WISH
YOU HAD KNOWN BEFORE YOU ENTERED
THIS OCCUPATION?

16.  A:
 Jamie Fox: my clinical instructor from grad school –
outpatient orthopedic rotation, she is a PT at St Pete, FL
outpatient sports clinic.
 Mary Mohay my clinical instructor from grad school –
inpatient rehab rotation (spinal cord injury unit ). She is a
PT at Brooks Rehab in Jacksonville, FL
 Rudi Rodriguez – classmate in grad school. She is a
physical therapist in Ocala at their hospital.
 Ali Gannon – whom I worked with at Benefis Hospital, who
has currently moved to Texas and is a pediatric physical
therapist.
15. Q: CAN YOU SUGGEST ANYONE ELSE
WHOM I SHOULD CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION?