First Crying Patient

Hi Lauren, I am a first year DPT student and I had the same thing happen to me when I was doing my observations to get into PT school! I know exactly how you felt. The pt. was recovering from a right CVA and was frustrated with the inability to be independent.  I had been shadowing the PT with this patient once a week for a few months so I had seen this pt. a lot and one day he just broke down. I really liked the way the therapist handled it.  She let him explain why he was upset and how frustrating the whole process of recovery was for him.  Then, she told him that he was entitled to be frustrated and scared and that these feelings were understandable and then explained how important PT is for him to regain his independence.  Afterwards, she told me that these things happen but it does get easier once the patient starts to see real improvement!

Kristin

I think this is a very relevant topic in the clinical environment.  In our curriculum, we are learning about different psychosocial aspects of behavior and all the different outside circumstances that can affect the patient in the clinic.  None of the specific verbal instructions can prepare us for one on one situations in the clinic like this though.  I think as we have more and more experiences dealing with patients that have difficult circumstances and emotional experiences, we will become more comfortable and adept at handling them.  I feel that most students going into the PT profession are doing so at least partly because of their care and compassion for other people.  While PT is a direct physical way to help them, the emotional and untangible aspect can not be ignored. Great question to address!

Hi Lauren, I love your perspective- since I recently went through many topics you address (I was a SPTA, though). During one of my last clinicals I worked with a woman who was in a tremendous amount of back pain and suffering through depression. Most visits entailed some tears as the exam room was the one place she felt she could shed her guard and vent. I'm by no means an expert but I have a feeling as therapists we have to embrace that title completely. Generally we are addressing the physical but many times we are addressing mental as well. Working in a SNF, I can spend 75% of my first treatment with a patient just talking about their family and interests so they feel more comfortable with me. Keep in mind we're all people- empathy and listening can be just as effective as SAQs and E-stim. Experience is your best textbook for this situation- because every patient is different and you'll learn what works for you. Good luck- it sounds like you're going to make a great therapist!