Occupational Therapy // Hitting Your Stride

{a happy, confident pupper in front of the de Young Museum, San Francisco}

After two days of orientation and documentation system training, I spent my birthday at the hospital for my first day as a PRN (as needed) OT with their team.

And it was awesome.

While there's a lot I could say about hospital/acute care OT and why it's great, my biggest takeaway at the end of the day was that "hey. I know more than I thought I did. I have more experience than I thought I did. I'm actually... confident... in my ability to do my job. I'm not 'new' any more."

It was kind of a weird feeling.

So many of us, when we finally finish school and head out into the 'real world,' we exist by the mantra "fake it 'til you make it," in that school can only prepare you for so much and the rest you learn and figure out once you're on the job.

Patients and families look to you to be an authority and know your stuff during all interactions, and as a new grad, that's pretty daunting. THERE'S SO MUCH YOU DON'T KNOW.

That unprepared, slightly nervous, "gosh, I hope I'm answering their question fully" churn in your gut takes a while to go away, but it's not a disappearing feeling as much as it just... slowly fades.

One day, it just kind of hits you that you DO actually know what you're talking about. There's a ton of information that you now can produce at the drop of a hat. You can anticipate the questions your patients and their families will ask and you answer them before they can even think to verbalize anything. There are responses to situations that, when asked "what would you do?" during an interview, take you a moment to think about because you just react automatically now.

It's a really cool and slightly surreal feeling to have reached this point, I must say.

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I'm not known for being a naturally "confident" person. It's definitely not in the top three adjectives friends or family would use to describe me.

But over the past 2-3 years that I've been working as an occupational therapist, my confidence in my ability to do my job and do it well has grown exponentially. I am good at what I do.

All this to say, for everyone out there who feels a little scared or a lot nervous about starting something new or getting that first job out of school, BREATHE. Yes, it may take a few years, but you'll hit your stride and eventually you too will be able to handle complicated/demanding/anxious patients and families with a calm smile and a reassuring tone. 👍

Travel Therapy // Basic Definition & Reasons Why Therapists Choose It

{Beach walkway in Monterey, California // January 2020}

Let's see how well I can explain this... If you have any questions, go ahead and leave a comment and if I don't know the answer (which is highly possible), I'll hit up the travelers I've worked with to see what they say.

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What is Travel Therapy?

Travel therapy is a subset of regular therapy where the physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), speech-language pathologists (SLPs), or respiratory therapists (RTs) take travel contracts and go to an area for a specified amount of time with the purpose of filling a short-term need, whether due to the facility having a lot of patients (high census), someone going on medical/maternity leave, or some other reason like the company just hasn't hired a full-time person yet.

Travel contracts are usually 13 weeks, but can be extended if both the therapist/facility are in agreement OR be shortened if the facility/company hires a full-time person or the census goes down. Contracts are a little unpredictable.

Why do therapists choose to do travel therapy instead of getting a full-time job?

For one, the pay is usually better. I'll go into that at some other point because that breakdown in and of itself is relatively long. For another, the constant change can be a good thing. Yes, there's less stability and predictability, but you get to work with new people, learn new things, stay out of the facility drama (usually... we've worked with travelers in the past while I was working full-time who were... just wow. They brought the drama with them for sure).

The travel aspect is a big draw as well. The fact that you're on the move and can go to new places every three months is pretty cool. Three months is a long enough time that you can explore the area and get to know it better than if you were just vacationing there, but not so long that you settle in and/or get bored. Plus, you've got a job while you're there, so you're bringing in an income while you adventure.

It helps that under normal circumstances (aka not in the middle of a global pandemic), travel positions are relatively plentiful and the interview process is short and sweet. For the most part, positions are offered the same day as the phone interview if they like you, so there's no long, drawn out, multiple-interviews-with-multiple-people, we'll-let-you-know-after-two-weeks type deal.

While you don't get PTO usually if you're a travel therapist, you CAN choose how long your breaks are between contracts, so you can schedule your vacations then for however long you want/need. So you can be like, "I'm done with this contract in November... I'm going to take an overseas, European holiday adventure for three weeks and then come back to start my new contract in a different state in January."

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Obviously there are downsides as well. I feel like I could write a post about that, but considering I've yet to actually start my first contract, all the downsides would be more theoretical/"from what I've heard" than actually based in my own personal experience.

Thus, I'll hold off on creating that post for a while until I've been around the block a little longer.

If you have any questions or are interested in a specific aspect of travel therapy, let me know and I'll see what I can do to talk about it/clarify it for you. Or if you want to know more about other therapy/medical related stuff, I plan on writing up something about those things, too.

Every now and then, I'm like, "goodness, who's going to listen to me? I'm just... me. How much do I know?" And then I'll get into a conversation with someone or a patient/new therapist will ask a question and I'm like, "heyyy, I know more than I thought I did about this stuff," so I thought I'd share it here for greater reach.

Might as well use my voice for good, yeah? Or at least for education and awareness. (:

Travel Therapy // Preparation Update

{Kendra & Patrick ready for adventures!}

Update: found a place to live over the holiday weekend!

It's an apartment, not a room like I'd originally planned (prices are different, obvs, and I don't really need a heck of a lot of space), but I'm excited to have my own place for a bit.

Also, I got to talk with my new director of rehabilitation (DOR) this week over the phone and make sure we're all on the same page. It was nice to get a feel for the facility and the new boss, get some answers to my questions, and be a little more prepared heading into this new adventure.

Packing is going slowly, but surely, with me working on a Google spreadsheet to make sure I've got everything. Funnily enough, the clothes packing was, like, not a problem at all. It's the food packing that's like... O.o since the parentals (esp the padre) don't want me to starve, so the majority of what's being brought to this new apartment living situation is food.

It's made a little harder by the fact that my travel assignment is well away from big cities or urban areas, so there's no Costco or Trader Joe's nearby. If they had either of those within reasonable driving distance, I wouldn't have to pack so many edible items. *shrug*

Getting used to the chromebook, but still having to Google things like "where is the File folder?" and "how do you shut a chromebook off all the way?" *face palm*

I don't know how I'm going to function with no dogs around though. I'll fully admit that I feel more comfortable and safe with my canine companions (well, Patrick more than Kendra since I know Patrick's got my back, whereas Kendra is relying on ME to watch HER back). They provide structure and schedule and priorities, and without them... what do I do with all the extra time I'll have? It'll be so quiet! D:

The list of things I probably should update y'all about keeps growing. Like for instance, I just realized that I have NEVER mentioned Kendra on here before because the last time I posted, she didn't exist yet. I should probably explain how travel therapy works, although since this is my first assignment, I'm learning as I go, so you'd only be getting a basic/rudimentary explanation from me right now.

Mmm...

It's good to be back though. Happy July and I'll see you around!

Begin Again

{"Be Brave" tile entry found while exploring Portland, October 2019}

Oh hey there. It's been... a really long time... since I've written something down on this platform.

Life updates: graduated OT school, passed the national boards exam (with a pretty decent score considering I walked out of there with shaky hands and thinking I'd failed), got my first full time job as an OT working at a skilled nursing facility (SNF), did that for two years with the best rehab team anyone could ever ask for (including two excellent bosses back to back-- hashtag grateful)...

Then in just this past year (oh hey, 2020), COVID hit, I tested positive in April due to a bunch of patients testing positive at work, self-quarantined through mid-May, went back to work for a few weeks, and then with how my company handled everything and treated us while we were dealing with the pandemic, I needed a change.

So here we are.

New adventure.

Something different.

Something I'd thought about before, but hadn't felt ready for yet.

I'm going to do travel therapy.

I accepted a position at a SNF several hours away from home for 13 weeks. The place looks good, the rehab team is supposedly cohesive and works well together, it's a busy place, and they use a different documentation system than I'm used to, so I'll get to add that to my repertoire.

It's definitely not Bay Area-esque with infinite places to go/eat/do things, but it's near a lot of pretty hikes (from what I've researched so far) and greenery and small town vibes.

I'm excited... and pretty anxious at this exact moment because I can't find housing out there...

Everything is either already taken (one homeowner said she JUST accepted a security deposit from someone else, another said her current tenant is most likely staying an extra month at least), not available when I arrive (there are a few places that say they'll be available mid September when I'm arriving late July), or crazy expensive (like... blowing past my entire housing allowance I get from the travel therapy company because I'd have to rent the entire house when it's just me... I don't need a WHOLE house! O.o).

So yeah, a little panicky. Mostly just the housing thing though, not about the whole travel therapy situation. I figure I've done enough internships throughout college/post-college that I can handle a new building and a new team for 3 months. It'll be like that, but I'll know more about what I'm doing and I'll be getting paid. Heyyy.

Since I'm headed out on this new adventure and I'll have the time to write (since I won't have homework and I'll be living away from the fam), I thought 'why not start this back up again?' I can document new places and experiences and it'll be good.

I will have to remember how to adjust my photos so they do what I want them to do on posts, though, cause it's been a while. Plus, I just got a Chromebook so I have a computer while I'm traveling, but I haven't quite figured out if I like it yet or how/where I would save my photos to use on posts. Soo... learning curve.

Rawrawrawr. My brain is flying now that I've broken the ice and written this first post in, like, 3 years.

So. Many. Things. I. Could. Write. About.

😯

It's gonna be good, guys. Let's do this.

Weekend Reading Material // No. 40

^ Bubblegum Love via AcquaPhoto ^

No. 40 // January 14-15, 2017

+ Took this "Where Should You Go Next?" travel quiz aaand... got San Francisco. O.o 

+ Self control is just empathy with your future self. 

+ That colored streak of hair... although, Happy Quinn on Scorpion doesn't have one and she's still awesomeness. I guess that's progress?

+ While I lack a permanent travel buddy, these are still some excellent couple travel photography tips.

+ Friendship at first sight does exist. Or as Anne Shirley so aptly put it, "kindred spirits."

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First week of my last semester ever complete! It was a crazy one (they've squished all the practical learning [as opposed to academic knowledge] into our last semester, so our brains are on overload), so yay for Monday being a holiday! Hope y'all have a great three-day weekend, friends!

Sunday Thoughts // No. 7

 ^ Autumn Kayaking via FreshOfftheGrid ^

No. 7 // January 2-7, 2017

+ This week, the padre, the pupper, and I explored Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline, Oakland Chinatown, and Las Trampas Regional Wilderness. Taking advantage of my last break of the yeaaaar!

+ The padre and I also cleared out the pantry. You know it's been a while when you find things in there from the 1990s... O.o

+ I baked carrot cake muffins with raisins and cream cheese frosting! Breakfast and dessert in one!

+ It was the first week of using my Passion Planner. In addition to that, I also use a notebook for to-do lists and a small pocket calendar-- paper goods, for the win!

+ Blogging again has been fun and I've definitely enjoyed this past week of having posts scheduled and ready to go. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up the same schedule as school starts back up, but I'll try! Having a creative outlet and stress reliever will be good for me, I think. Write all the things!

+ According to Pandora, I listened to over 6,700 songs, spanning about 405 hours last year. Sheesh. O.o

Weekend Reading Material // No. 39

^ Happy Weekend Vibes via Amy Tangerine ^

No. 39 // January 7-8, 2017

+ The STSS Adventure to Utah has been planned out; although due to scheduling conflicts, it most likely won't occur this year. However! We will definitely be keeping these national park pass tips in mind when we go!

+ 5 different hair colors in 7 weeks.

+ I'm pretty sure I'll fall into the "Not A Great Mother" category, too. :P

+ A longread, but I really want to live in a playborhood someday, kidlet or no kidlet.

+ Have dog, will travel.

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Oy, I haven't done one of these in a long time. The last time I wrote one, the blurb down here at the bottom talked about Patrick going on his first outing around people... whereas just this week, he went on three hikes (one off-leash and super muddy), gently sniffed Janelly's cat, walked around a two-story OSH, and did beautifully in crowded Oakland Chinatown. Improvement!

This is the last weekend before I head back to school for my LAST SEMESTER EVER, which means I would like to go do something fun, but it's supposed to rain three inches, so. Maybe not. ): I'll probably just be hanging out at home, prepping for the first week of school. Siiigh.

Have a lovely weekend wherever you are, friends!