| Friday, September 3, 2010 | |||
| NEWSRoom | |||
| 01/01/2010 | |||
Q&A with JENNY BEAUCHAMP, Pediatric Physical Therapist at Pediatria Healthcare for Kids in Georgia |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rate It! Q: What motivated you to become a physical therapist? A: I have always enjoyed working with children with special needs. Through volunteering in the school system and in rehabilitation centers, I decided physical therapy would be both interesting and rewarding. Q: How did you decide that you wanted to specialize in pediatrics? A: I went into physical therapy knowing I wanted to specialize in pediatrics. I have always loved working with babies and toddlers. My population, birth to 5 years, is typically less strenuous than the adult population. I have the patience for children and enjoy using the physical therapy skills required in pediatrics. I find working with children to be more rewarding and feel as though I am really making a difference in many of their lives. Q: What kind of facility is Pediatria? A: It is a small facility. Pediatria is a childcare center for medically fragile children. Many of our children were born prematurely and now require supplemental oxygen, feeding tubes, tracheostomies, and colostomy bags. Q: When and how did you start? A: I started at Pediatria Healthcare in April 2006. I worked for some of our corporate directors in the past and heard about Pediatria when they were opening. Q: Typically, what are your day-to-day responsibilities as a PT? A: • Direct treatment with the children; • Communicate with parents, staff, and physicians/other medical professionals, regarding the care and follow-up of the child; • Paperwork; • Educate parents and staff on specific needs of the children; • Equipment monitoring (adjustments, ordering new equipment for children, brainstorming on the best positioning options). Q: What type of patients/diagnoses do you encounter most frequently? A: I encounter patients with extreme prematurity, cerebral palsy, NEC, bronchopulmonary dysplagia, feeding disorders, developmental delay, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, trisomy disorders, etc. Q: Are there other areas of interest for you as a physical therapist, either clinically or educationally, that you plan to pursue? A: Down the road, I am interested in the following two certifications: • NDT certified (Neuro-Developmental Treatment); • Pediatric Certified Specialist. Q: What do you feel is of the greatest concern to PTs today? A: Reimbursement. Medicaid continues to cut the amount of hours a child can receive therapy. In order to get more units, the paperwork is such a hassle it is almost not even worth it. Medicaid also puts restrictions on orthotics and equipment, two very crucial needs for certain patients. Orthotics can be thought of as "permanent hands." Physical therapists can position and control certain joints in specific positions, but the orthotic allows the joint to maintain that position. For example, if a child has really low tone and poor ankle stability, I can place his or her ankle into a position that is optimal for weight bearing, but the orthotics allow the ankle to maintain that position. They can provide a joint more support, improve range of motion, or allow a more functional position. Equipment is crucial for the following reasons: • Allows a patient to participate in activities they otherwise would not be able to. Example: A Gait Trainer allows patients the ability to walk when they cannot walk independently; • Ease the burden of care. Example: For a child who cannot sit independently or is non-mobile, bath time can be very challenging. A bath chair allows caregivers a safer way to bathe their child, providing more support and decreasing burden of care; • Provides mobility for a non-ambulatory patient. Example: For a patient who cannot walk, a wheelchair may allow a person to function independently in society (for those who can propel themselves, either manually or powered). If a patient cannot propel their self independently, a wheelchair provides a means of mobility and the body can have the necessary support needed for a good sitting position. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job? A: Watching the children grow and get better. I believe many of our children would not gain their developmental skills as well if it weren't for their therapy programs. Another big reward is when the parents notice a difference in their child and are so appreciative to all the staff involved in their child's care. Q: Can you tell me an inspiring story about working with a patient? A: I once worked with a little girl at Pediatria from the time she was approximately 7 months old until she was 3 years old. Coincidentally, I had worked with her when she was a newborn while in my previous position at the NICU of a local hospital. She was born at 23 weeks gestational age, which is extremely premature, at a birth weight of approximately one pound. I watched her mother as she sat by her baby's bedside wondering hour by hour whether her daughter was going to survive. Even though the nursing staff is used to premature babies surviving a lot of obstacles, the staff definitely did not know if this child would survive. Fast forward to seven months later and this little girl, who had survived, was admitted to Pediatria. She was delayed in her gross motor skills and hooked up to a feeding tube, a nasal canula (for oxygen), a cardiac monitor, and apnea monitor. Over time she weaned from her oxygen, started eating by mouth, and began to catch up with her developmental skills. When she was discharged (to go to another school closer to home), she was walking and running independently. Although she displayed decreased balance and still needed physical therapy for mild gross motor delays, I truly believed she was going to catch up to her age level for gross motor skills and be "okay." Had it not been for early intervention receiving physical, occupational, and speech therapy, I believe she would have been much more delayed in her development. Seeing where she had started and how far she had come was very rewarding and kept me believing there is purpose to what I do. Q: What is the most important thing you've learned over the course of your career? A: Parents of children with special needs have been through a rollercoaster ride, emotionally, mentally, and physically, just caring for their child on a day-to-day basis. People forget to put themselves in their shoes and are quick to judge and get frustrated. It means a lot to the parents to show a little compassion and sympathy and a lot of patience. Q: What advice do you have for others thinking about working in pediatrics? A: Working in pediatrics can be very rewarding, but if you don't care for kids, it's not your area. Q: How has working within pediatrics helped you to grow as a professional? A: I have learned patience, compassion, and how to treat each patient individually. You can see how these children start off, so if I work with older patients in other settings, I can appreciate how far they have come. Q: How do you think working with children is different than working with adult patients? Do you approach therapy differently? A: Adults are able to verbalize pain and discomfort, where as children are often harder to figure out. You have to decide whether they are crying out of pain or just not wanting to participate. With children, you have to deal with and communicate with the parents, which sometimes can bring a whole new challenge. Q: What do you see for yourself in the future? A: I see myself always practicing physical therapy, whether full-time or part-time. I have a family and therefore need to balance both work and home. I love where I work (the setting, type of patients, flexibility, hours, and location), but if circumstances changed and I had to work in another setting, then I might seek a position with a school system. I am also interested in becoming certified in various specialty areas. For example, I would like to become certified as a Child Passenger Safety Technician. Parents with special needs children often have questions about the best type of car seat for their child and how to best fit their child in the car seat. I feel that this certification would be very beneficial to properly fit children in the car seat and keep them safe. |
|||
Share This!
| Short Link: http://www.news-line.com/?s3182 |
0 Comments
Post Comment
