New Year, New Patients
Well, it's a new year, which means the PTs at my hospital rotate floors. It's actually a really nice bonus of working in a big hospital setting- tons of opportunities to see different types of patients. I was on the chest pain floor last year and will be working primarily in the ICU setting this year. Other therapists rotate between the floors specializing in strokes, neuro-surgery, abdominal conditions (liver/kidney patients), cancer, and many other areas.
I've only been on the ICU floor for two days, but I've enjoyed it so far. There is a lot more information to review to determine if a patient is appropriate for therapy, and I'm learning a lot more about pathologies. It will take some time to meet all the new staff and become familiar with the rhythm of the ICU, but I'm really looking forward to that opportunity.
Changing environments has reminded me how important it is to keep all our skills as therapists current, even if we aren't using them on a regular basis.
What do you think? Is it a good idea for therapists to change practice settings, to maintain our skills in many areas? Are you in the generalist mindset- that we should be available to treat all patients, or is specialization a better method for enhancing our talents?