It’s a New Year for Physical Therapists and Their Patients

Physical therapists are uniquely positioned to help their patients achieve their New Year’s resolutions, like weight loss and positive gains in strength and flexibility. Whether you make your own resolutions or focus more on helping patients do so, this is an excellent opportunity for PTs to set and meet professional and personal standards that help them live up to their healthy career goals in the new year. Physical Therapists Take Part in Patient’s New Year’s Resolution Goals The following are a few tips to help make 2013 healthier and pain-free for everyone you meet in rehab jobs and everyday life.

• Be S.M.A.R.T: Specific, Motivational, Attainable, Relevant, Timely: It’s a key performance indicator that project managers have used for decades. Everyone with a goal needs to set a definitive time-line for positive changes by certain dates. Goals should be easy to measure. Going in, you need to ask yourself if you have the right attitude and skills to get the job done; if not, tweak your New Year’s resolution!
• Go Easy on Yourself: Who says you have to create new resolutions? Maybe 2013 should be about focusing on goals you set in the past. New or old, 2 New Year’s resolutions are plenty to get started—especially if they are physical therapy initiatives. Resist the urge to say you’re going to do something all 365 days, and set goals by the week or month to make it easier.
• Create 3 and 5 year goals, as well as annual goals: Where do you see yourself in the next few years? By setting the biggest goals further out, you can better evaluate your therapy career and put a more definitive point on how far you want to get in continuing education, specializations and where you want to go in permanent and travel therapist careers.
• Lead by Example: As a physical therapist, you know that following the right techniques in lifting heavy objects is of paramount importance; so is a strong back, breathing awareness and getting up from your desk to stretch several times a day. When you’re advising your patients in this way, remember to do the same; practice postural awareness and stand up straight this year!

Join American Traveler Allied, and Achieve Your Personal Best in 2013 We hope every member of our allied healthcare team takes the time to congratulate themselves for all the achievements of last year as we prepare to embark on a new one. We wish you the best of luck in making positive things happen in your therapy jobs and in your personal lives. Here’s to wishing you peace on earth as our goals and commitments to patients dovetail into the highest quality of care. Apply online or call 1-800-617-0608 today to make 2013 a banner year with high pay, generous benefits and therapy jobs in all 50 U.S. States. Happy New Year everyone!