I can’t stand it how the patients who actually want to do the work, want to get better, get up, dressed, ready get a nomnc just have to hang around all day and do absolutely nothing.

They watch me go room by room like a sales person getting “no! get out. No! go away” from their room mate and others who won’t do shit. They say “i wish i could still do therapy” to the room mate or when they hear me get refusals.

Months and months of the snf slow walking them “helping” find a place to live. They may or may not get “restorative.”

I am so sick of this bs that I let the good people come in the gym and I go over their exercises and work out with them.

I have been saying this to myself for a while: some day history will shine a light on the American health”care” system and study this. We are like the days of the civil war where you preemptively saw off a limb and hope for the best.

SNFs in my state are becoming a dumping ground, meat storage for alcoholic drug addicts to be milked for every red cent. I work in ones filled with 80% completely uninterested smokers, methadone, chronic weed users, psyche head cases and low life people who could not give a single fuck about doing therapy.

Why do they get assigned to all of us (PT, OT ) then the actual people who want to get better get railroaded?

I am not even bothering to look for a new job elsewhere. This PDPM system and the people who invented it are terrible people. I hate this.

Check this out, couldn't repost it in the sub so copied the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/TikTokCringe/s/8TsglcGz2O

Hello! I am seeking some advice as a new grad. I was offered 3 jobs. To give some insight to the storm inside my brain, my primary thought is which one would set me up for success long term and build my confidence as a clinician. Option A and B have the same schedule, benefits and salary. Both are acute care positions: Option A is level 1 and option B is level 3. I loved everything about my acute care rotation that was a level 1 and it is where I fell in love working with trauma and neuro patients. Option A obviously has these populations; however, as a whole was very different in a way I feel diminishes a lot of the reasons I loved my rotation. On the other hand, option B has significantly less of neuro populations but is a place that I see myself working well with and long term. As a new grad I feel it’s so important to maximize the opportunity for mentorship and gain confidence with all sorts of complexity. I am between choosing a place for the environment/culture with less complex patients or high complexity patients that make me excited in a less desirable environment that could potentially lead to burn out. Finally Option C, a neuro outpatient clinic with phenomenal equipment, 1 on 1 sessions and mentorship, but the salary is almost 25k less. In your opinion and experience, which would you choose for your first job and why?

Hey everyone maybe a reality check. Entry PT first year of practice, 60/hr 3% simple IRA match, 5 days sick, 2 weeks PTO. No health, dental or 401k options. No student loan pay back, CEUs and relicensure will be paid for.

Caseload max 10, 1:1 treatment, partial aide assistance for half day some days, 40 min treats, heavy Medicare and mostly mod to high complexity cases. Mod-high cost of living in the LA area.

I feel like this is pretty good for entry but management keeps saying that they want to lower pay due to not having 100% note completion within 48 hours calander hours .

Is this typical? Or are they just feeling like they over committed to get me on staff? Additionally, with 1 year of good results and very good successful POC rates should I be offended or looking for another gig? Or simply grit my teeth and lower quality for compliance sake?

Thanks in advance.

The 6th edition of Current Concepts just launched and I am curious for those who have purchased it before feel like it is a worthy investment. I am not currently planning on taking the OCS, just seeking continuing ed to be more competent in orthopedics as I've spent more time in acute the last few years. Would love any and all thoughts if this is a worthy educational resource or if you have another favorite you'd pick instead.

Hi everyone, I’ve decided to go PRN for flexibility. Thanks for your help!

[edit]: question has been resolved 3x10 hour PT (Thurs-Sat) vs PRN 8 hour shifts.

Hey everyone!

I’m a licensed Physical Therapist in Virginia, and I’m interested in starting a small cash-based outpatient PT side hustle on weekends while keeping my regular job.

I already have 1–2 friends or family members interested in receiving treatment, so I’d like to use this as an opportunity to test the waters before investing too much money into a business.

I’m also interested in attending local CrossFit competitions, fitness throwdowns, and similar events as a vendor, offering brief soft tissue treatments to athletes for a fee.

For those who have started their own cash-based or mobile PT practice, especially in Virginia, I’d love to hear how you got started.

Thanks in advance!

My travel PT person sent me a contract located at a Select Physical Therapy clinic. The description I was sent stated “60 minute eval + treatment”. I’ve only really ever known of Select as a mill. Are there some out there that do 1:1 or will I be overlapped even though they are 60 minute appointments? I would really prefer to not take a contract at a mill but if it’s my only option I think I can manage 13 weeks. Thanks!

Edit to add: this is my first time doing travel PT so any and all advice is appreciated!

I am a relatively new grad and a little over a month into my first travel contract. I work 3 days/week in hospital based OP and 2 days/week acute care. I was in a private OP clinic in a small town before this, so this is pretty different in terms of flow and patient population. I evaluated a patient recently who underwent ORIF after a tibial fracture a few years ago. She had two surgeries afterwards to "clean up scar tissue", which she says she builds easily. Her total ROM in her knee is like 0-20-25 deg, not kidding. Stiff end feel and lots of pain if I try to push it. She said she went to PT for a year and a half before coming here, and they worked on "walking" (??) Of note, she doesn't speak English, so some things may be lost in translation. Her referral was for her ankle, which also has limited ROM, but did not undergo surgery and is not the biggest problem here. I want to help her but don't know if I realistically can... I don't want to bullshit her and waste her time and money. So far we've only done STM, mobilization (can't tolerate much), stretching for her hamstrings, calves, quads, and gentle OKC exercises. How would you manage this patient?

Hey everyone! I’m a Florida PTA (licensed since 2019) with experience in acute care, inpatient rehab, and outpatient, mostly PRN lately. I’m interested in travel therapy but haven’t done it yet, and I want to avoid expensive rookie mistakes. I’d especially love to hear from other traveling PTAs, since I know our pay and opportunities can differ from PTs’.

I only hold a Florida license right now, and I’m open to both big cities and rural areas. I’d prefer to stay in hospital settings (acute care or inpatient rehab) if possible, but I’m open to learning what the opportunities are actually like.

A few things I’d love advice on:

• Agencies: Which ones are worth looking into, and which should I avoid?
• Hospital contracts: How common are hospital contracts for PTAs compared to SNFs? Is productivity pressure generally lower in hospitals, or does it depend on the facility? How much experience do facilities typically expect from traveling PTAs?
• Pay and contracts: What does realistic take-home pay look like after taxes, housing, and insurance? How can I tell if a contract is actually a good deal?
• Housing: Agency-provided housing, a stipend, or finding my own? What has worked best for you?
• Licensure: How difficult is it to get licensed in other states, and is it worth getting additional licenses before an assignment is lined up?
• Gaps and flexibility: How much time do you typically have between contracts, and how do you handle gaps in income? Does being flexible about location make a real difference in job availability or pay?

I want to see different parts of the country while making travel therapy financially worthwhile. Advice about red flags with recruiters or contracts is also welcome, along with any resources you’d recommend.

Thanks in advance! Personal experiences and agency recommendations are especially appreciated.

Hello! I’ve been offered a DOR position in my hometown for a small SNF. Right now I live in Cali but looking to maybe move back home to WA if I can find the right job. Currently am a PTA who’s been in a SNF for 4 years and HH for 2 years so no experience as a DOR currently, however I’ve been trying to move up out of my current role as I’ve been getting so burnt out as a PTA. This would be a decent pay upgrade though. The facility only has a part time PTA with per diem PT/OT/ST. I would have to maintain productivity of 85% for the facility and they do expect me to treat patients maybe 60/70% of the time while also doing DOR stuff. They do concurrent and groups as well. Do any of you have any input if this would be a good job to take? It’s in a small town with primarily long term care patients with maybe 7 to 10 skilled patients. The pros would be pay and being close to family and friends, although I know DOR positions can be pretty draining. I should mention this is an hourly position. Any input would be greatly appreciated.