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A Moment to Shine
by Jason Marketti

Sometimes I'll be the one to initially assess a patient who requires increased intervention by nursing. In a SNF, patients can fluctuate in ability, cognition and activity level, which is often first seen by the therapy department. Typically one of us Read More...

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New Skills
by Jason Marketti

As we approach a new year, a Festivus miracle occurred ("Seinfeld" enthusiasts will understand this). I had an epiphany about how to be a better therapist in 2013. At first, it made about as much sense as a Chris Elliott book but as I began to unravel Read More...

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Security
by Jason Marketti

The first time I heard a nurse call for security, I quickly ran to the room and assisted to keep a patient settled down. At first, I thought the patient quieted down because I was there but as I turned there was a large burly gentleman who took up the Read More...

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Who Directs Patient Care?
by Jason Marketti

A while ago, a patient came into the facility and we were given two weeks to make the patient stronger and safer to go home. The two weeks was what the patient's insurance company authorized. Research shows that a person will need to increase caloric Read More...

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A Safe Environment
by Jason Marketti

A therapist's gym is a multipurpose room not only for the staff but also patients. For the staff, it's used for in-services, luncheons and meetings. For the patients we see, the gym is used for exercises to get stronger, a place to encourage and become Read More...

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'Because I Said So'
by Jason Marketti

A PTA came up to me and asked why a patient was on caseload. The patient recently had a THA, was independent with transfers, able to follow an HEP independently and walking more than 150 feet with an SPC. Vital signs were within normal limits with activity Read More...

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Greater Than 720 Minutes
by Jason Marketti

I like my new patient. He is very motivated, therapy-driven and has an extreme desire to get stronger as quickly as possible. He will not ask any therapy discipline to wait or check back for him later. He will stop what he's doing and go wherever he's Read More...

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Therapy Jokester
by Jason Marketti

Humor has been a large part of who I am and what I do. I use my standard joke name, "Frank N. Stein," around this time of year and have the per-diem therapists try and treat him. After looking around the facility for him, they usually realize it's a joke Read More...

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Our Meme
by Jason Marketti

When a therapist tells me a patient is "circling the drain" or a "frequent flyer," I immediately cringe at the idea of a professional using those terms. However, I also know exactly what they mean. When we get "knees," "hips" or "backs," they fail to Read More...

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Total PT Immersion
by Jason Marketti

As PTs and PTAs, we went through enough testing in school and yet we had to pass one more test to get that magical piece of paper from the licensing board. The problem is that to get that license to practice, we did not have to show any skills to the Read More...

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Non-Compete Clause
by Jason Marketti

Something to watch for while negotiating a therapy job is the non-compete clause employers might try to get you to sign. Do not sign it. Brock Lesnar (of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts fame) signed one with the WWE and it almost prevented Read More...

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Getting Too Close
by Jason Marketti

I don't know how many times I've seen this behavior by therapists in various clinics and facilities I've been in. I call it "helicoptering." It's when the therapist hovers over the client or when the therapist is too close to the acceptable comfort-level Read More...

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My Last Patient
by Jason Marketti

The lights were low and everyone seemed to be in a relaxed state of mind. The patients were not lining up outside the therapy gym clamoring to get seen like they normally do, so I knew something was up. I had seen most of my patients earlier that day Read More...

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Joint Mobilization
by Jason Marketti

"Spinal manipulation is not designated as being under the exclusive domain of any one specific profession or group of practitioners." So says the APTA; however, the position they take with the PT assistants is that we should not be allowed to perform Read More...

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Good Eats
by Jason Marketti

A while back, I mentioned to a patient that I like chocolate chip cookies. For the next several days I was brought some cookies wrapped in a napkin; apparently they had been saved from lunch or from the snack tray that is brought around. I am very picky Read More...

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