The need for travel physical therapy services isn't limited to one age. Professionals in this field can have patients ranging from infants to seniors. During their careers, though, some physical therapists find they enjoy working with a particular age group. For travel physical therapist Andrea Bailey, she found helping kids to be the most rewarding of all and now spends her career working with adolescent patients. Learn more about physical therapist services for pediatric populations and her experience.
Andrea's story
Andrea didn't begin her career knowing she wanted to work with kids, but she always had a passion for physical therapy. In an interview with Aureus Medical, she reminisced about having an innate curiosity for learning how things worked. If something was broken, she'd take it apart to discover the problem and learn how to fix it. Then, there's her added enthusiasm for working with and helping people. Put those together, and physical therapy seemed like the perfect fit.
She also never thought travel therapy would serve as her career path. Going away to physical therapy school, however, showed Andrea just how much she loved to travel. She found that staying in one place just wasn't as exciting as seeing the world. To name a few states, she's been to Texas, Georgia, South Carolina and Nebraska. Travel physical therapy has created plenty of exciting adventures, like learning to swing dance in Dallas, visiting the beaches on the East coast and seeing the Blue Ridge Mountains.
It was while working as a resident assistant at a pediatric long-term care facility that she discovered her love for working with kids.
"I tried to keep an open mind as I went to different settings for my clinical rotations, but I did not find anything I liked as much!" she said.
"It is just helping the patient live the best life they can."
Why children need physical therapy services
When anyone – regardless of their age – is diagnosed with a condition that limits their mobility, they can turn to physical therapy services. As the American Physical Therapy Association explained, these professionals come up with treatment plans calling on techniques that reduce pain, prevent disability or further decline of function, and promote greater mobility. When travel physical therapists work with kids, they fulfill those roles in a way that meets the pediatric patient's needs.
Of course, these needs vary widely, as Andrea explained. She noted that many of her patients experience developmental delays. According to the APTA, this might involve working with kids who have autism or Down syndrome, as these disabilities may lead to slower-than-average progression in speech, self-care and motor skills. A physical therapist creates a plan to help the child be more mobile so he or she can play, socialize and participate in everyday activities.
Children aren't invincible (as much as they might like to think they are), which means Andrea also sees young patients overcoming injuries. According to Health Grades, 5- to 9-year-olds are prone to playground accidents, while physical therapists are more likely to see team sport-related injuries in those age 6 to 19.
Regardless of the injury, the goal is the same, explained Andrea.
"I could go on for a long time about the different levels and needs you might work with, but in the end it is just helping the patient live the best life they can at whatever level they are at," she said.
Andrea's tips for working with kids
There's no one-size-fits-all strategy for working with pediatric populations in physical therapy jobs, but in general, patience can go a long way. As Andrea explained, it's not easy telling a 3-year-old to sit down and do 10 sets of a certain exercise. You might have to repeat yourself several times if that's what it takes to have the child complete the task. After all, you can't just forgo a physical therapy regimen because an adolescent patient would rather be playing with his or her friends! Your influence is crucial to patient health and happiness.
That said, there are ways to make the appointment more entertaining, and Andrea said pediatric physical therapists must be willing to have fun. You may have specific goals for your patients to reach, but keep in mind there are multiple pathways to achieving those objectives.
"In order to have a child do certain things, it helps to incorporate it into a game or make it fun," Andrea explained.
For example, Advance Healthcare Networked discussed how physical therapists at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center use suspension equipment to help young children with posture control. While sitting in these seats, they throw a beanbag back and forth with the physical therapist. They also guide pediatric patients through the superman stretch to strengthen their core. Pretending to be a superhero is a lot more fun than doing a plain old sit-up!
According to Andrea, there's nothing quite as rewarding as watching a child get excited about accomplishing a goal. As someone working in travel physical therapy, you can enjoy this fulfilling career path, too. Consider getting some experience first by shadowing at a pediatric clinic or completing a clinical rotation in a pediatric setting as a student.