1st week of Tacoma

Well, I've worked my first week at this private outpatient P.T. clinic. The clinic is 14 miles from where I'm staying and it takes me about 20 minutes, very easy to get to. There's another CHT working there, 3.5 days a week and she's been very helpful in orienting me and helping me out. It was a very quick orientation, about 1.5 hours before I started seeing patients. Trying to get acquainted with the patients by reading the charts was very interesting. For those of you who've worked with me know how I am about being detailed enough for others who follow know what you've done. Well, I think some of the therapists may need refreshers on documentation to ensure continuity of care from all those concerned. I feel a little discombobulated when I have to ask the patients what they've been doing in therapy because I can't read nor get enough information from the chart.

The hand therapy room is small and not the best designed nor with a lot of equipment. I'll never say that we didn't have enough at Centinela because what's available at this clinic pales in comparison. I'll just have to be a little more creative in the exercises/activities I plan for patients. Ten hours seems long, especially when you don't have a full schedule. We do our own charges on the computer which gets sent to the billing department, the daily documentation is by flow sheet (handwritten) but the evaluation, progress reports and discharges are on computer (and they're abridged versions of the handwritten ones which seems a little redundant). Patients are seen for 40 minutes, whether it's treatment or evaluation, and 1:1 with no overlapping scheduled. Since it's a private clinic and not part of the hospital, there's certain patients that I can't see because of the insurance. I need my own provider # (I was under the hospital one at Centinela).

There is a Bally's gym closeby so I'm glad to be able to go there for classes. I live by the shore of Dash Point, close to a state park. From the deck of the house that I'm staying at (renting a room from someone) you can see Puget Sound. I could see Seattle if there wasn't this island in the way. I have a nice size room with a queen bed, furniture and a huge closet. I have access to the full house, of where there is a nice size kitchen but only one fridge, yikes! The owner lives here and is very nice, friendly and helpful. There's a student intern from North Carolina here as well and she's cool, has a lot of youthful energy. She wants to be able to see and do things in the area so that'll be nice to have someone to go around with.

I'm glad that I live here because the house and people who live/stay here are great. Although it's a few miles to the stores, I think I lucked out. I'm not sure where my company would have found a place for me but I don't think it could be better than this. Sure, it's probably a little farther than what they would have found for me but I'd take the location and environment over that any day.

The student intern, Dasha, and I went for a hike near Snoqualmie Pass, east of Seattle, this past Saturday. We didn't realize that there'd be snow but there was plenty of it, some places a couple of feet deep and plenty of runoff/creeks going down the mountain as the snow was melting. There was so much snow that it also covered most of the trail that we were trying to hike. We were going along with another group of hikers and there were a few times that we had to decide which way to go. We didn't get to where we wanted because we ran out of time. We had things to do, places to go. There was a strawberry farm about 20 minutes away where we were able to pick out our own strawberries. They weren't as big as the ones in the store but there's something about picking your own that makes them that much sweeter. We bought rhubarb as well as I made a strawberry-rhubarb pie last night that was very delicious, if I don't say so myself! We also spent a few hours and a few dollars at an outlet mall nearby. All in all, it was a very busy and full day. We're looking to see where we're going to go next.

Since I've returned from Canada, the weather here has actually been very good. Temperature's only in the mid-high 70s but it's been sunny with a little cloud but no rain during the day. Maybe it's the turnaround we've been waiting for!

I also was able to get a library card. I'm very excited about that as I love to read! So between the magazines I'm trying to catch up on and the books/music/movies I can borrow from the library and all the excursions I'm planning, it'll be a busy summer. No rest for the wicked!!! hehe. I was also able to find the Korean food mart which was truly exciting for me!!!