Week One
I have officially completed an entire week of my internship. So far everything is awesome. It sort of took a few days to get used to the environment, since I am not used to being in a long-term care facility, but I have become much more comfortable there.
It is very interesting to see the large range of patients. Some patients are nearly independent while others are completely bed ridden and unresponsive. Some are extremely impulsive and motivated to get better, while others desire to do absolutely nothing. Some are pleasant, polite and cooperative, while others are the complete opposite. I have come to realize that no patient is the same.
One has to utilize many techniques in order to motivate a patient and encourage them to continue with their therapy. It amazes me how you can work on the same things with different patients and how they need to be taught so vastly different. It also amazes me as a PT, how much of a toll physical therapy takes on your body. Each day when I return home I am so tired that all I can do is sleep. Hopefully this doesn't last too long!