Ron, etc., I admit I am a lurker, and generally a more subtle advocate for our profession, but even I get irked into irritation at times with the blatent disregard for our profession by our Association, the medical community, and other OTs.
Case in point. I was called in to work at a rural outpatient clinic today at a hospital system that I work at PRN. On the wall there is a newspaper article for the local paper with the title "New Physical Therapist" and a picture next to it of someone I know to be an OT. The article was welcoming her to her new post (it was a few years dated) and in honor of OT month. YET TITLED AS A NEW PT!!!!!!! Now maybe the paper made a mistake, but the clinic chose to prominantly display this article for all the patients to see. And many of her pts called me a PT or asked, "what is OT again? What's the difference?" I was shocked! How as a profession can we expect to move forward and gain identity when our own colleagues don't distinguish us from other disciplines? Humbly, Kelly the OT! On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 6:21 PM, Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thanks EVERYONE. > > I just don't get it. I just don't understand how OT is so far > behind... > > I don't know if I shared this or not, but one of the other therapists, > a PT, documented over 45 visits in one week. Now, tell me how can a > therapist make 45 visits in one week, especially when they are driving > 100+ miles each day? The answer of course, is that each visit is 20 - > 30 minutes. How is that quality therapy? Is that even therapy? > > I thought about going back to the manager and explaining that OT is > vastly different and that OT takes more time than other professions. > And that I can't do quality OT in 20 - 30 minutes, it's just not > possible. But, like my lovely wife pointed out, the HH agency > obviously cares more about money than quality therapy. I understand > that as a corporation, there are revenue goals to be met but come on. > You know, it would be difficult meeting 30 visits/week. For one, I > routinely drive over 100 miles/day and sometimes 150. That's a LOT of > drive time. So, when is paperwork, phone calls, family calls, etc? > > It really is a shame. I give 100% to patient's outcomes, I often leave > patient's homes wringing wet with sweat, and yet my agency is "upset" > because I'm not meeting productivity. Sadly, I could go sit on my > butt, counting exercise reps for 30 minutes and easily make > productivity. But, how much benefit is that? > > I am so stinkin' frustrated with OT and AOTA. You know we've got that > "great" centennial vision of OT being: > > "a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and > evidence-based profession with a globally connected and > diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs" > > At times like this I think some people at AOTA are TOTALLY clueless > just how bad it is. How can we meet society's needs when the VAST > majority of society has no earthly idea what we do. Or when OT's are > practicing so different from our framework that we are seen by almost > EVERYONE working in phys dys as UE therapists. Almost every patient I > meet in home health is either clueless about OT or they know that we > do pegs, cones, etc. Or, I really love it when a patient who does NO > cooking says she "baked brownies" in OT!!! My gosh, people, GET A > STINKIN' CLUE ALREADY! > > The situation STINKS !!! and I'm tired of it!!!!!!!!! > > OK, time to move on, right? > > Ron > > -- Ron Carson > MHS, OT > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Brent Cheyne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 > To: otlist@otnow.com <otlist@otnow.com> > Subj: [OTlist] Lost my OT job today > > BC> Ron, > BC> Sorry to hear of the struggle and I think a lot of us have > BC> been there before...getting the "OT slap in the face." We are the > BC> Rodney Dangerfields of the Rehab worll...we get "no respect...no > BC> respect at all". You have my admiration for your conviction to > BC> your ethics and principles which is all you have in the end. I > BC> often have days of wondering whether I chose the right > BC> profession...just due to the fact that I have to explain myself > BC> and earn respect and justify my serivices...it is hard work Just > BC> stay strong and move on...some good may come from it all. > BC> Brent Cheyne OTR/L > > BC> --- On Fri, 10/17/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > BC> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > BC> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > BC> Subject: OTlist Digest, Vol 43, Issue 14 > BC> To: otlist@otnow.com > BC> Date: Friday, October 17, 2008, 6:33 AM > > BC> Send OTlist mailing list submissions to > BC> otlist@otnow.com > > BC> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > BC> http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com > BC> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > BC> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > BC> You can reach the person managing the list at > BC> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > BC> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > BC> than "Re: Contents of OTlist digest..." > > > BC> Today's Topics: > > BC> 1. Lost My Home Health Job Today... (Ron Carson) > BC> 2. Re: Lost My Home Health Job Today... (pat) > BC> 3. Re: Lost My Home Health Job Today... (Ron Carson) > BC> 4. Re: Lost My Home Health Job Today... (pat) > BC> 5. Re: Lost My Home Health Job Today... (Marie Henderson) > BC> 6. Re: Lost My Home Health Job Today... (Guy Montague-Smith) > > > BC> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > BC> Message: 1 > BC> Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:18:40 -0400 > BC> From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > BC> Subject: [OTlist] Lost My Home Health Job Today... > BC> To: OTlist@OTnow.com > BC> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > BC> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > BC> Well sort of. > > BC> I was asked to revert back to PRN status because my productivity is > BC> not high enough. The goal is 30 visits/week and I've only been as high > BC> as 24. > > BC> I guess I'm to blame because I give patients ONLY what they need. If a > BC> patient needs 5 day/week, that what they get. If they don't need any > BC> OT, then that's what they get. I guess I could just see all patients > BC> 3x/week and that would take care of the productivity, but I don't feel > BC> that's appropriate. > > BC> I told my supervisor that I can not see patients if I don't get the > BC> referrals. I told my supervisor that I've always thought OT should be > BC> the premier discipline but I don't think she agreed. I also had to > BC> counter the OT = upper extremity "thing" at least three times. > BC> It > BC> seems that no matter how many times I explained that my OT is not > BC> about UE, she just didn't get it. She did ask me to do an inservice > BC> for the nurses, but I'm not too optimistic... > > BC> I must say that my poor little OT feelings are deeply hurt. The agency > BC> just hired 2 new PTA's. I must say, I do get a wee bit tired of > BC> fighting this battle. > > BC> Thanks for listening to me "cry". > > BC> Ron > > > > -- > Options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com > -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com
