Ten Qualities of a Successful Physical Therapist

Physical Therapists restore, maintain and promote the best possible physical health for their patients. Sounds simple? No. It's more than that. There are many attributes for a successful physical therapist and if you're in the profession or planning to be a part of it, you might want to read on.

1. Astute. Sherlock Holmes often chided his bumbling sidekick Watson with the admonition “You see but you do not observe.” Anyone can see a hip, but an astute observer notices the vaulting. Anyone can see a baseball pitch, but an astute observer notices the trunk rotation (or lack thereof). Honing your observational skills helps you to identify problems. The next step is to solve them.
    
2. Knowledgeable. If you want to find solutions to what ails your patients, you need to update your knowledge base. Whether it’s a scholarly journal, a helpful colleague, or a tattered text, knowledge sources are pervasive and plentiful. The clinical science behind physical therapy grows ever more complicated. Don’t be left behind. Become a lifelong learner today.
    
3. Humble. Being realistic also means being humble. There are three ways to do this. Learn from yourself, learn from your colleagues, and learn from your patients. The latter is probably the most important. If experience is education then your patients are the educators, par excellence.
    
4. Patient. Sure you have “other things to do” but so do the people you treat. Exposure to the suffering and pain-stricken patient shouldn’t make us impatient with seemingly “commonplace” problems. Often, patients have endured a chronic illness, waited hours or even months to see us, and appreciate our patience as much as we appreciate theirs. Patient care is essential in any field of health care.
    
5. Positive. The same reality can be seen through different lenses. Everything doesn’t have to be rose tinted. But a successful physical therapist knows how to accentuate the positive, redirect negative thoughts, and focus on what’s working, improving, good or (fill in the blank). You believe what you tell yourself. And if you believe it, your patient is more likely to as well.
    
6. Intelligible. You might know what’s going on and what you’re going to do about it. The average patient won’t. The challenge is to overcome the disconnect between you and your patient. This doesn’t happen by telepathy. The physical therapist needs to choose words that are appropriate, clear, and unintimidating. Talking to patients shouldn’t sound like a lecture or a dissertation.
    
7. Well Rounded. You need to be a jack of all trades and a master of, at least one physical therapy treatment. Experience in different fields, a large general knowledge base, an interest in cultural activities, art, music, science and social studies. All these enable physical therapists to relate to their patients and understand the demands of their daily activities. Well rounded physical therapists can also better design programs that connect therapy to functional and meaningful goals. Bonus: your patient will probably enjoy your company too.
    
8. Realistic. The fact remains, no matter how many lifetimes you live, there’s still more learning to do. As Dr. Seuss said “Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes, you won’t.” But that’s okay. As long as you’re realistic about what you can and can’t do, you’ll know when to seek help, refer your patient or both. Dr. Seuss would be proud.
    
9. Flexible. Patients don’t always show up on time, the computer can crash, goniometers sometimes break and the only toilet in the building might be clogged. Are you flexible enough? Can you adapt, improvise and innovate? If so, you and everyone around you will be less stressed and more impressed.
    
10. Caring. If you fixed cars for a living, caring about the car probably wouldn’t be so important. The car repair probably won’t be any more successful if you say “hi” and give it a hug. But if you care about people, they will listen to your advice, return for follow-ups, say good things about you, be less likely to sue you (or punch you in the face) and, most important of all, they will feel better and get better. Mission accomplished.

Practice these traits until it grows on you. Give yourself a sense of fulfillment by becoming a successful physical therapist. Seeing your patients remember your dedication towards them is very rewarding. Which of these qualities do you lack?

About the Author: An advocate of prevention, Son encourages you to visit his site at www.coachtrinh.com. It's a one-stop, online destination for those interested in fitness, nutrition and weight loss. The programs featured at his site have played a role in the personal transformation of thousands of people, including Michelle Obama, The Philadelphia Eagles, Sheryl Crow, Ashton Kutcher, and many more.

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