Compact Packing Series- Part 4 Bathroom

It has been a busy and somber past week and a half. My husband's grandmother passed away. She had been diagnosed with cancer back in July and this was the second time she had battled cancer. At the age of 83, she decided she did not want to go through treatments again and would live out the time she was allowed. My husband was very close to her, so it is a struggle for him. He has been recovering and has gone back to work now. Needless to say, we have been busy with his family. I spent the wake and funeral watching over my husband and his grandpa, who after 58 years of marriage, is missing his best friend. After the weekend and all the events of the week, I am rather drained. I am taking this weekend to recover myself.
On that note, I am continuing my CPS, moving to the bathroom. (Any gentlemen can probably turn their attention elsewhere at this point.) My bathroom supplies are minimal. In order to understand what I keep, it is crucial you understand that I am not high maintenance, and don't like spending lots of time on myself. However, I do work in a job where I am interacting with the public, so I do need to be presentable. So, here I am, between a rock and a hair dryer. I have spent considerable time in hair dresser's chairs asking what is the easiest and least demanding hair style to deal with. I also must consider what is appropriate for work, so I don't have hair falling in my face constantly or on my patients either. Currently I am between hair styles and I will be visiting another stylist next weekend for, yet another attempt to find the ideal hair style.
Currently I have only a handful of hair products:
-Split end mender
-leave in conditioner
-Mouse
-hair spray
-spritz gel
My hair care tools consist of:
-paddle brush
-large tooth comb
-hair dryer
-flat iron
-head bands and hair binders
(Some items pictured here)

And I have about 4 possible hair styles....its all very exciting. I use about 2 of them on a regular basis.

As far as skin care goes, it is even more limited (as you can see in the photo). I have a facial wash and facial moisturizer/anti-acne cream. My makeup is limited to very basic items. I prefer a natural look with my makeup so I don't need much.  I also don't do my makeup everyday...actually I haven't done the full routine in months. Like I said, I'm not high maintenance.

Oral hygiene is another area of consideration. I can't say I do anything special, but I do use those floss picks. They are truly wonderful if they work with your teeth. My sisters teeth are set much closer than mine, so she is not able to use the picks because the floss constantly breaks on her. My oral habits are fairly basic and normal as well. Brush in the AM for at least 2 minutes. Then in the evening, I brush, floss, and use mouth wash, in that order. Doing this for the last several years gets me glowing reviews from the dentists office and keeps my teeth from getting excessively sensitive. About once a year I whiten my teeth with the paint on whitener, but only when I'm not around other people...since you have to wander around for 10 minutes baring your teeth (if you want good results anyway).

All in all, I am able to pack all of my bathroom needs into one bag, including shampoo and conditioner. As I have mentioned before, I know this is unacceptable for some people as they require far more items than I do and feel a need to do full makeup every day. The only thing I have to say against that, is that since I don't do my makeup everyday, I am able to save money because my supplies last much longer. Same goes for my hair products as well. But then again, that is just me.

Random Tidbits

I'm going to take a break from my Compact Packing Series to relate some random bits and thoughts that I've picked up on. I'll continue the CPS next time with looking at the bathroom.

So, I have officially extended my current rotation to the end of March. This was only after I had verified with my land lord that I would be able to extend my lease here. I would have moved closer but that would have had to have been done in December...immediately after Christmas. My husband's grandmother has been in failing health for a few months and we are anticipating a funeral within the next few months. Knowing that, I decided that it would be better to just remain, rather than trying to move during that time of year.
For any ladies reading this post: I would like to say that some times the old ways are the best ways. I am speaking of laundry here, specifically washing bras. Before starting work, I decided it was time to get rid of all my old bras that were a few inches to big around my ribs and invest in some good bras. It was expensive but it was worth it. I bought these with the agreement with myself that I would take extra good care of them. So now I wash all my bras in luk-warm water with mild detergent and rinse in cold water. Then I hang them to dry on my drying rack in the bathtub. It takes them longer to dry than it would if I washed them in the machine but it preserves the elastic and keeps the materials in tip-top condition.
A struggle I'm trying to work through now is trying to exercise and cut down on body fat. Its always been a personal goal of mine to get down to 15-17% body fat. The closest I've gotten was 19% while I was in PT school and working out at a gym 3 times/wk and was able to get in 6 meals/day (mostly during class). Now that I'm working (and I ran out of protein powder) its harder to get in those workouts and even harder to get in 6 meals when you have 8+ patients to treat every day. I have started using the elliptical in cardiac rehab during lunch but I only get 30 minutes and I do need time to eat. So currently my workouts have been 20 minutes long, a large step backwards from the 1+ hrs I used to pull at the gym. I do have more protein powder on the way, but that that still does not change my problem with exercising. I can do plenty of body weight exercises here in my apartment but as the weather turns colder, getting in cardio is not as easy. My ideal is to run but I may just have to settle with 10 minutes on the elliptical during lunch. I have a friend who is a nutritionist and I've put in a few questions to her about meal planning and the like. If she provides anything profound, I'll share it here for all of you to benefit from.

Well, those are the latest details I have to share. Today was a lovely fall day and I was able to get out for a nice long walk around town. I hope everyone was able to enjoy the weather where ever you are.

Compact Packing Series: Part 3- Bedroom

It has been a busy week and I haven't been feeling well so excuse my lack of posting this week. I have learned what it is like to work while ill...its not much fun, but it had to be done. Earlier this week I was dealing with a sore throat, which has gone away now, but yesterday and today I have been sneezing up a storm. I can usually work through any illness, so long as it isn't abdominal pain...I am a baby when it comes to that. I digress...
SO continuing the CPS, I am moving on to the bedroom. I am staying with the same idea that I have to be able to pack everything into my car so it is very minimal. My "bedroom" currently is actually the living room of my apartment. I didn't see the point of taking up space when it would just make my living  room seem very empty and lonely. Not only that, but I would just have more space to clean when I do move out. I have posted pictures of my living room/bedroom previously. There are 3 things in my bedroom; my air mattress, end table, and TV.
I chose to use an air mattress for my bed as it is much easier to transport and relatively comfortable. I bought a fairly nice mattress. Its a queen, double high, with interior bracing. So this mattress is more stable than the traditional air mattress. My husband and I have slept on it a few times and the top surface stayed relatively level unless he was laying directly next to me. I made sure to get a double high since it gets old having to, literally, get UP out of bed. Sheets and bedding are fairly simple. I have a fitted sheet and mattress cover, which stay on surprisingly well. I also have a quilt under the fitted sheet to help keep heat in rather than escaping through the mattress. The rest of my sheets are one top sheet, one quilt, and one throw blanket. I don't keep any extra to save space. I do throw them in the laundry and I just have to make sure that I get them dry before bed.
My end table is one of those small TV trays. It is strong enough to handle my lamp and random assorted things. It is also the perfect height for my bed. I chose this because it folds flat for easy  transport and very light weight.
Finally the TV. I don't have cable or anything like that. My original plan was to just use my computer to watch movies. Since my computer took a dive, my husband and I had to come up with another solution. I don't necessarily need movies, but that is one thing that makes me feel at home. So, as his grandparents gave us a very nice TV for a wedding gift and he already had his Xbox, he gave me the TV that he had in his bedroom. It is not too big or small and has a DVD drive built in. My only concern is that I have not traveled with this with my car fully packed. So we shall see how that goes when the time comes.
So that is how I manage my bedroom on a minimalist level. In other news, I spoke to my supervisor today and there is talk of extending my current assignment to another 13 weeks, or whatever I would be willing to do. This is mainly up to me, and I will probably consider extending my stay, at least until the holidays are past. I also have the option to work New Years day and the weekend to follow. I would get paid well for it but it would also take away from time with my husband. He said he didn't mind if I took the hours but I will have to find out the specifics to see if I will have to be at the hospital all weekend or just available. Well, that is all for the excitement of my life and how I'm managing things. I hope everyone is staying healthy and warm (its turning into winter quickly here).

Compact Packing Series: Part 2- Clothing

Alright, we are resuming our Compact Packing Series to talk about clothing. When you are a professional it is important to have the appropriate dress. When you are a traveler it is important to have versatility and practicality to your wardrobe. As a physical therapist, it is also important that my clothing allows me to move easily. For my pants, I found an amazing brand of pants that are dress yoga pants made by BetaBrand (follow the link to check them out: Betabrand Dress yoga dress pant.) I have the navy, herringbone, and glen-plaid. I have two more on the way- hazel and pinstripe. I also just looked at the website and they have silver and tan herringbone available for pre-order. I have 5 pairs, one for each day of the week, and all different colors to go with any top I have. One word of warning for anyone considering ordering them, the herringbone and glen-plaid run large so order a size smaller. I found this out the hard way. The average cost of a pair is $75 but that is totally worth it! The pants are stretchy enough for any activity and dressy enough for any meeting. 

This is the black boot cut dress yoga pant. 

They really are as amazing as they sound and 

they do look professional enough for any office.

As far as tops go, I like to have variety of colors and patterns. The more variety you have, the fewer items you need to have without your wardrobe getting stale. You also need to be conscious of what is appropriate for work. I have to keep my clothing modest and the tops have to be long enough that I won't show my midsection if I reach up to set up equipment or demonstrate an exercise or stretch. I have a combination of single options and also several layering items so I can switch up colors and outfits without much trouble. I am not great at color coordination and stuff, and the only reason I might look like I know what I'm doing is because I had my best friend come shopping with me to help pick tops out. Now, lets take a look at what my closet looks like.

To the left is my three drawer storage for all my under garments, work out clothes, casual clothes, and pajamas. I keep about 8 pairs of shoes (again I like variety). I have a carrying bag for my laundry and that folds up very small in my boxes during moving. 

For clothing, I have all of my work clothes hung and mostly organized. I also have those hanging shelves for extra storage for casual clothes. Those shelves also fold up small for moving.

Here we have a few other items. Laundry needs are to the left. I also have a small iron and starch spray. The last things I have is my scarves and pashminas. Again, these accessories are just nice additions to keep my wardrobe interesting. Accessories can really make the same clothing seem different.

In general, I have about 5 pairs of work pants, 10-15 tops, 5 scarves, enough work out clothes for 6 days/week, and 3-4 outfits of casual clothing for weekends. I am able to transport all of my clothing in a large rolling suitcase and the 3 storage shelves I keep in the closet. It seems to work well and it keeps me from acquiring an exorbitant amount of clothing. I hope that has shed some light on how to organize clothes as traveling professionals. Have a lovely evening everyone!

Compact Packing Series: Part 1- Kitchen

Probably one of my favorite rooms in any home, the kitchen is one room that can accumulate unnecessary items very quickly. From specialty appliances to excessive amounts of tupperware and coffee cups, things can add up quickly and that means a lot of wasted space. This is especially true if you are trying to move your entire kitchen every few months.
Currently I pack all my kitchen gear in about 4 boxes:
One for pots, pans, and baking ware
One for silverware, tupperware, dishes, and utensils
One for all electric appliances, and kitchen linens
One for any nonperishable food items I have
After unpacking everything, this is what my cupboards and drawers look like:

Top shelf: plastic bags, shaker cups
Middle shelf: tupperware and water bottle
Bottom shelf: cups, bowls, plates, collapsible storage and lunch containers

As you can see, I try to keep things minimal. I've got enough dishes that I don't have to do dishes every night after supper. The greater portion of this is tupperware and storage containers. I always bring my lunch to work (its healthier and much cheaper). The idea here, is to have enough that you don't have to do dishes every day but not so much that you are weighed down. Another thing is that everything here is plastic. No breakables! It makes packing boxes and loading my car that much easier and less stressful. Also, breakable things are usually heavier so I'm saving weight as well when I have to carry everything in/out during moving. Finally, the bottom shelf is half full of collapsible items, which are wonderful for saving space in boxes and cupboards! If I could get all collapsible...everything, I would! Best part, is after I retire from traveling, the collapsible items are great for camping!

Top shelf: hand mixer, hand blender, chopper

Middle shelf: large blender, food scale

Bottom shelf: smoothie mixer and bottles

This is probably a shelf that people would say I am being redundant and wasting space. And looking at it now, I would probably have to agree. I have a specific purpose for all of these items and, for the most part, there is no cross over possible among their uses. For instance, I use the large blender to make my own oat flour with when I bake and I use the smoothie maker for smoothies (obviously). Now I could use the large blender for both but if I want to make a smoothie for breakfast on the road, it requires much more time (and is usually a large mess) if I try to pour into a bottle with my large blender. So, I keep the smoothie maker around. The hand mixer could probably be left out but again, some of these things are to my preference and this happens to be one of them.

Left: soup bowl, coffee/tea mug, to go mug

Right: mixing bowls and strainer

Now, I know I said earlier that I didn't carry breakables, which is mostly true...outside of the soup bowl and coffee mug. Again, these are two things that I do not feel at home without. Especially my tea mug. I will usually have a cup of tea every night when the weather starts getting cold. The colander is probably a little large since, at most I'm cooking for two (me and my husband), but I didn't think it was really worth it to buy a whole new colander when mine worked perfectly fine.

Top: mini muffin tins, baking pan, regular muffin tin

Bottom: large frying pan, sauce pan, 3 different pots, 

small frying pan, dutch oven, and 4 lids

Here we have all my bake ware. Its not the fanciest stuff or the newest (bought it in college), but it is functional and I'm not worried about scratching it. I don't have a cookie sheet for two reasons: one, my old ones rusted and I had to throw them away; and two, I couldn't get one to fit in the box properly. So for any baking, I just use the baking pan. It works fine and it saves me some space. 

Silverware, kitchen linens, and clips and twistie-ties

So, this looks like an empty drawer. The kitchen linens are very scant because I only keep two wash clothes and two drying cloths. At no given time are both in the wash when I need/want to do dishes, so we have some space saved here as well. It is also helpful to have these, as I use them to wrap my soup bowl and tea mug during packing so they don't break. Use what you will bring with you to pack what you will bring with you!

Utensil drawer...you get the idea

Well this is a bit of a mess but utensil drawers usually are. Now, I do have a redundancy here that I will be fixing this weekend. I have two sets of measuring cups. (Its the end of the world as we know it!!!)  One is the set that I used in college (and I am fond of). The other set is a collapsible set that I bought specifically for traveling. Although this seems like a small detail, it is helpful to identify things like this so you can eliminate excess clutter.

Toaster, salt and pepper, oil decanter, spoon holder, and drying mat

These are all things that I like to have around. The oil decanter, however not necessary, makes me feel at home and enjoy cooking that much more. One of the best space saving items is the drying mat, instead of using a drying rack. The mat folds up very small (that is only about 1/3 of its full size) and can be used as padding in boxes to keep things from banging around.

So there you have it! My kitchen. There may be things there that I have that you would have no need for or I may have left some things out that you can't live without. Just keep in mind that you will have to be moving everything every 3-4 months, so whatever it is you can't live without, better be worth it.

Compact Packing Series

Hello all! It has come to my attention that I haven't really given much of an idea of what things I keep with me to allow me to furnish an entire apartment with only one car load of stuff. So I am creating my Compact Packing Series of blog posts that will go through each room and the items that I keep as essentials. Keep in mind that these are according to my personal preferences and you may require different items. I will be including pictures of each room and descriptions of the things that I keep, and also why I may have left out a few things that would seem necessary. Also keep in mind that I try to be frugal and healthy, so many things I have are geared to that.
It is important to keep things with you that make you feel at home. Some of the things that I have aren't practical, useful, or necessary, but they do make me more comfortable. When you are away from your family and friends (and in my case, spouse) it is important to keep yourself happy and positive in the place you are calling home for awhile.
So if you are wondering how to turn a whole room into compact packing or how to get an entire apartment into a Chevy Equinox (that is the car I drive), continue reading my blog. Thanks all and I look forward to sharing my experience with you. If anyone has any ideas of how to slim down the items or pack more efficiently I would love to hear it! Please post a comment at any time!

Trials of a Traveler

Well I don't have any pictures to add this time but I do have a few new pieces of wisdom that I have gained in the last few weeks. As a traveling therapist I am guaranteed by the company that I will get paid for 40hrs/wk. This is a nice situation if there are not many patients. I can go home an hour or two early and still get paid for a full 8 hour day. The down side to this arrangement is that the clinical site does not like the idea of paying anyone for hours they didn't work. (Can't say I blame them.) The result of this is that my schedule is the first to be filled...with any and every patient possible. Another problem with this (mainly because I am a new therapist) is that I am not the fastest with documentation and still have trouble with point-of-service documentation occasionally. So, that leads to me having a lot of working lunches while I finish documentation if I have any evals in the morning and staying a bit later if I have an eval in the afternoon. It does not pay for me to put it off till the next day because I always have a full schedule. I am getting faster at this so its becoming less of an issue. Another aspect that adds to this difficulty is the travel time between facilities...but I am getting ahead of myself...
Now, as far as working in more rural locations and being a traveler in those areas... If you planning on doing traveling therapy, you need to understand that you will have a lot of opportunities in more remote, rural geographic locations, as these are less desirable for most individuals who want the convenience of living near larger shopping opportunities. This also may mean that the same clinic you work at is also responsible for the home health therapy in the area and therapy services at any nursing homes in the immediate region. For example, I am working out of the hospital therapy clinic. However, the facilities I work in include the hospital outpatient, hospital inpatient, 3 nursing homes in the region, and any home health patients within the general area of the hospital. Having the requirement to travel between locations during the work day adds to the complexity of time management and I am constantly watching the clock to make sure that I won't be late for my next appointment.
In addition to those aspects, I also have to be familiar with 5 different documentation systems (one for each location). During my first two weeks I spent time at each location learning the systems and paperwork. However, I do not work in each facility consistently. This presents a problem when I go to do an eval at one of the facilities that I have not worked at for 3-4 weeks after orientation, causing me to be very forgetful on all the steps of documentation. Then I "get" to spend an extra hour at work fixing all my mistakes. (This happened this week actually.) Now, this could have been avoided, had the evals been scheduled properly so there would have been another therapist there to help walk me through all the steps (and which my clinic manager felt very guilty about), but as it didn't, it was a very intense learning process for the 3 evals that I had to do that day.
Please note that I am not complaining, nor am I angry with my company. They do what they can and sometimes things do not work the way they should. And on a positive note, the company is going through a trial period of selecting a documentation system that will become standard company wide. This means that any employee who knows the documentation system will be able to work in any facility (provided the have the proper state license) without having to go through training for a whole new computer system. Not only will this make my life easier but it will also allow for more crossover of therapists between clinics.
So that is what I have learned over the last few weeks. I will work 40hr/wk...at least, and can expect a full schedule every day (I can get overtime). There will be days where it feels like I do more traveling than treating. (My company does pay mileage for traveling between clinics and on home health visits.) I need to embrace being flexible with documentation, but I am VERY MUCH looking forward to only having to know one computer system. If this has shed any light on the life of a traveling therapist for you, I am glad, and I also hope that it has not turned anyone away from the idea if they are interested. It is not an easy job, but I would not give it up.

Sisseton and scrap booking

Well it has been a while and an adventure. I have been working in Sisseton SD now for 2 weeks of my 13 week rotation. Things went well in Milbank and I enjoyed my stay at the Valli Vu motel. It was nice to have someone make my bed every day. Currently I'm staying in Wheaton MN at a lovely 2 bedroom apartment. About a month ago, when my rotation was confirmed, I found this apartment complex and sent an email inquiring about open apartments. To my great fortune, I got a response from the manager stating that there were no 1 bedroom apartments open but he was willing to offer me a 2 bedroom apartment for the price of a 1 bedroom. He was also going to include all utilities into the cost of the rent since I will only be here till mid-December. All in all, it is a wonderful arrangement and I can only hope to be this lucky in the future.

Currently I am managing to live comfortably. They have laundry here in the building so I don't have to go anywhere. That makes it easier to get all my laundry, cleaning, and cooking done. You can see my drying rack there in the first picture. That second picture is my table covered in my scrape booking from my wedding. I'm not the most creative person but I do try.

I've been working on this for a few weeks and have about 12 pages done. Its a nice pass time and it's nice to look through my wedding pictures.
Since coming here I found out that our cell phone provider didn't cover the area very well. So my husband and I switched providers to one that covered the area better. We were very excited and had planned on me using my phone as a wifi hot spot so we didn't have to get internet set up at each location. Well, all the way from the twin cities area to Wheaton I had 4G and things were good. Once we got back to the apartment and I went down to my apartment I lost all reception. So this past week I figured out that the only way I would have reception was to have my phone propped in the windows. Well, I am very thankful for my amazing husband. He did all the footwork and got an internet provider set up for me so all I had to do was wait for the router to show up and set up the connection. It was even better because he said that we could just bring the router and transfer the internet to any new place I was staying. I am very thankful for him!
So this is my first weekend here at the apartment and I am enjoying myself. I got all my laundry done, dishes and cleaning done, and some cooking done for the week. I spend the rest of my time chatting with my husband, scrap booking and knitting, and reading articles for the continuing education class I have in 2 weeks.
I would like to do more baking but I do need to watch how much stuff I collect for when I move again. That is truly to main downside to traveling. I would love to have a fully decked out kitchen pantry but  that can get tricky with things that you don't use all the time. Well, when I discover a sensible solution I will pass on the knowledge. until next time, I hope you have a wonderful finish to your weekend.

2nd day...and LOTS more to do.

So, it was my 2nd day in Milbank now. My mentor won't be there till tomorrow...so I guess I'll meet her then. Today I was supposed to be hanging out with one of the therapists and getting more patient exposure, which happened for the first half of the day. Shortly before lunch however, one of the other PTs asked if I would take his afternoon schedule, as he was not feeling well. So, me being the "pitch in and help out type" that I am, I agreed. Keep in mind that I have only had a hint of the documentation process and no much of a clue on any of their company policies on billing etc. They have not transferred to electronic records yet so I had to do some paper chart stuff, and...I had to dictate!...(dum dum dum...). For those who don't know what dictating is or is like...imagine talking about your job and having someone type up what you say verbatim. Its rather intimidating. I know PTs have been dictating for years but I was dreading it! I prefer to type on a computer so I can look back and edit it. At least that way I can sound like I have half a grasp on how to use the english language. I survived it...three times! I probably still sounded like a preschooler, but I survived.

Its a strange feeling as a new graduate, to be able to treat patients, alone! Especially medicare/medicaid patients! I have spent the last three years being told that I am not allowed to treat them without my instructor there and I have to get the okay from my instructor to do stuff (initially anyway). Now, when the office staff were trying to decide if I could see patients, it was a matter of:

 "Does she have her SD license?" 

"Yup." 

"Okay, then she can see patients if she wants."

Its just such a weird feeling, now that the rules have changed for me. I also feel more responsibility to stay busy. I didn't mind sitting around playing on my phone as a student, but now, since I'm being paid, I feel like I need to do more to earn it.

Today I mailed the final documents to the MN board of PT so I can get my MN license. The board meets on specific dates to got through and review all applicants, so those looking to get a MN license, watch those dates closely if you need your license by a particular date.

The next headache I'll have is to get my name changed. 

I've never heard of anyone enjoying the process.

Not only do I have to have all my IDs changed, but I also need to submit an application to each state to have my licenses changed too!...remind me again why I got married!?!?!?!....

Oh yeah...now I remember. Handsome devil isn't he!!! :-)

I think the only good advice I have to give today, is the same advice I gave last time. Get to your location a day early to get unpacked and do any grocery shopping (unless you plan on living off fast food). I am yet to grocery shop and I think I've spent as much in food this week as I could for 2 weeks of groceries...and my waistline isn't enjoying it any either. I just feel like garbage when I each junk food constantly so I will be doing some shopping this weekend, since I am going to my parents this friday after work. (I get to pick up my wedding pictures on saturday!!!)

Just Beginning!

HELLO ALL!!! It has been a while since I posted last...I haven't been doing much working or work related travel the last month. I have been occupied with wedding plans. Here we are!

Hello from Mr. and Mrs. Griffin!

(For those who are wondering, that is my mom's '64' mustang behind us.)

 





So since we have been married for a whole 10 days, it was time for me to head off to my first assignment as a traveling therapist.

Monday was my first day of orientation training at corporate head quarters. Since I recently got married, they weren't sure which name to use...so they gave me both! HAHA!

My first Big Stone gear! I'm excited to get to work!

 

 

My living situation I figured out about 2-3 weeks ago. Since I will only be in this area for 3 weeks in Milbank SD, an apartment lease just wasn't feasible. So, I am doing an extended stay at a local motel.

For being a tiny, out-of-the-way place, its pretty nice. Complete with microwave and mini fridge.

 

My first day in the clinic was today in Milbank. It is a mixture of many settings: OP ortho, SNF, LTC, and acute. I expect to get a lot of good exposure here. The primary purpose of my 3 weeks here is to help me develop a mentor relationship with the clinic manager here. Once thing I really appreciate about Big Stone is their emphasis on professional development! They offer lots of free continuing education classes and ensure that each new grad coming in feels ready to be on their own.

 

Currently, I am licensed in SD and ND but I am still working on my MN license. For anyone who is looking to get licensed in any of these states, my deepest empathy goes out to those for MN. I think they sat around and tried to think of as many pieces of paperwork as they possibly could to include in this process! Not fun! Thankfully, however, Big Stone reimburses for licensing, so I will get a nice check soon. I'll consider it payment for the headaches I have developed trying to keep all three states applications straight.

 

So, I don't have much advise to give yet. I did discover though that it is best to arrive the day before orientation to get settled and figure living logistics out. I got here the morning of my orientation and didn't check in to my motel till the evening, when I was tired and hungry and didn't want to worry about anything. So needless to say, I got very homesick for a few hours since I hadn't unpacked yet and had no idea where to find food. So in the future I will be arriving at least one day early to get settled and unpacked so I feel at home when I get done with work and just want to relax.

Now that I am working and have a consistent schedule, I will be posting much more frequently with new tid bits and such.

Hope everyone had a fantastic and safe summer! See you again soon!



All about the NPTE

Currently i am working on studying and preparing the last few weeks before the NPTE exam on July 22nd. For those that don't know, the NPTE is the national accreditation board exam that all PTs must take in order to be licensed. For those PT students who are starting to think about this, here is what you have to do (no one shared this info with me so i had to search it out myself):
1. Check the FSBPT website (organization that makes the board exam) for the testing dates and deadlines. These are hard deadlines...not suggestions so make sure you complete everything before that date. The NPTE is offered 4 times a year and if you miss the boat for one date you have to wait months before you can sit for it.
2. Check the state laws for PT to see when you are allowed to take the exam. This only applies if you are looking to take the test prior to graduation. Some states allow this and others don't. That information can be found online with the FSBPT. In either case, you are not allowed to sit for the exam more than 90 days before your graduation date. Also, speak to you department head and a few professors to see if they feel you will be prepared to take the exam prior to graduation, and keep in mind that you may be on internships if you are taking it prior to graduation and won't have as much study time.
3. Apply to the state of your choice for a PT license. This is where you wish to practice. There may be a jurisprudence exam (depends on the state) making sure you understand the states specific laws on PT practice and there is always a fee. Do this well ahead of time incase the state takes a long time to process your request. I have heard it can take a couple months with some states. I applied to ND and i am pleased to say they got back to me the same day!
4. Apply to FSBPT to sit for the exam. They will only schedule and approve you once they have recieved verification that you are allowed to sit by your specific state (this is why you need to apply early and check their testing rules to see if you can sit prior to graduation...none of the fees are refundable! And by now you have spent $400 for NPTE and $60-400 depending on state fees).
5. Once you are approved and scheduled to take the exam, you must pick a location to take the test. One common misconception is that you have to take the NPTE in the state you are being licensed by...WRONG! The NPTE is a STANDARDIZED NATIONAL exam, which means that it is the same no matter where you take it because ALL states acknowledge it and will accept your score. So, i am being licensed in ND but I'm sitting for the exam in IA. Also on this note, this is another reason why you want to apply early as there are a limited number of Prometric testing centers across the country and lots of PT students taking the exam. I have heard of students having to fly to another state because all the testing centers near them were full.
6. Receive verification and read through the rules of the testing center, directions to get there, etc. Make sure you will have no trouble getting there the day of since you will not be allowed to test if you show up late.
7. Prepare for the test (which you should have already been doing)! There are several study resources out there. The most user friendly study book is the Scorebuilders. The best practice tests are from O'Sullivan. Both Scorebuilders and O'Sullivan come with 3 200 question practice tests. I have both of these books and it was worth it. Scorebuilders also has an App for studying on the go, with 600+ practice questions. I have used this some...but not a lot. The best resource is the NPTE PEAT exams. These are sold by the FSBPT and you get 2 exams. One is a practice test and one is an actual retired board exam. This is the best way to get a feel for what the board questions are going to be like since these are the same people who write all the board questions.
As far as a study schedule, Scorebuilders gives a couple study schedule examples in their review course, which i modeled mine after. Make sure it is something that will work for you and your lifestyle. Also, keep in mind that the exam is not just about knowledge but also testing endurance. This is a 5 hour exam and you need to condition your brain and body to handle it.

Well that should about cover it. If anyone has any further questions i would be happy to answer them or clarify. Just comment below. 0For those planning on taking the exam soon, best of luck to you! Keep a calm clear mind and you will be able to work out any question.
Happy studying!

Beginning tips and tricks

Okay, so the first thing i have learned from being on my internships is: Never bring anything more than you have space and Never bring more than you can carry on your own!
I spent my first two internships in WA (I'm from MN and went to school in MI) so i had to make sure i could pack and carry all my stuff without help. I also never knew what i would have for kitchen supplies and tupperware so i invested in some collapsible tupperware...save space and have my own lunch gear...Brilliant!
Another thing i did (that I'm thrilled with) is buy the plastic storage drawers and use those for my clothes. Very light and easy to pack in. For those who plan on using this method (which i do recommend) take some strong packing tape or duct tape and go all the way around the outside of the drawer set, but still allow the drawers to open. The first time i tried to move mine, i ended up showing off my underware in a parking lot because the top came off and was open for the world to see...not my idea of a good time, but i laughed a lot later.
My final inital stroke of genious was using those large plastic bags that bedding sets come in to carry my blankets, pillows, and shoes. Saves space, easy to squish down for tight packing, and very easy to carry. Plus the plastic bags are easier to store than boxes and tubs.
So those are some beginning tips that I've picked up and continue to use. These can really apply to anyone who travels for work for extended periods. I hope this helps y'all.

Introductions!

Greetings and salutations all! My name is Meredith and I am a recent graduate of Physical Therapy school (YAY!). My first job out is working as an Internal Traveling Therapist around MN, ND, and SD. Before starting work i was hoping to do internet searches and get some good tips and tricks to make my rotations go as smooth as possible. Sadly i didn't find much, so i decided to share what i learned...as i learned it. For all those who do extended traveling for work, I hope you will find this all usefull information. So stay tuned for resources, ideas, tips, guidance, and many laughs as i endeavour to figure out how to live sucessfully (and healthy) as a Traveling Physical Therapist!