Official Therapist Blog

Therapy License Worthy of a Careful Review as We Begin 2012

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 01.13.2012 | Category Career Tips, Education, Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Rehab Careers, Travel Therapist, Travel physical therapy jobs, physical therapist licensing, physical therapy

With a brand new year under way, it’s time to get organized—and in your therapy career the most logical place to start is making sure your therapy license is in order. Travel Force is proud to provide therapy career resources that include links to all 50 U.S. physical therapy boards and 24/7 access to customer care should questions arise about obtaining state licensure in one or multiple states. Remember that we post new jobs round the clock, offering high paying opportunities in both travel therapy jobs and permanent jobs.

Travel Therapists will want to obtain multiple state licenses, so that when new travel physical therapy jobs open up from coast to coast, you’re ready to accept immediately. As an incentive, our staffing agency provides, whenever applicable, reimbursement for licensure board costs and travel expenses. Call 1-800-617-0608 or apply online to open up a line of communication with our recruiting team; they’ll want to discuss how far you can take your therapy career and what you need to do to get the ball rolling.

Whether you’re comfortable in your current therapy job or planning your next move, bookmarking our therapy career resources page is a great idea; it’ll help you stay current on allied health trends, events, and matters concerning your continuing education and earning potential.

Therapy Career Links Worth Remembering

OTA’s, physical and occupational therapists, as well as speech language pathologists will want to familiarize themselves with these sites, useful for anyone in therapy jobs and physical therapy jobs at Travel Force Staffing.

• Physical Therapy Boards
• Occupational Therapy Associations
• Speech Language Pathology Associations

Once again, don’t pass on making the New Year your perfect excuse to check in with your state licensure board. You’ll want to ensure no complaints have been filed, and no expiration have passed on continuing education requirements; a failure to meet these standards or forget to pay small periodic fees could result in the revocation of your state board issued therapy license—and nobody wants that. It’s just a gentle reminder from your #1 staffing agency. We know you’re in control of your therapy career and ready to prosper this year. Happy 2012 everyone!

National Allied Health Professionals Week Celebrates Therapists

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 11.01.2011 | Category Allied Healthcare, CFY, Career Tips, Monthly Events, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapist Jobs, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Travel Therapist, Travel physical therapy jobs, physical therapist licensing, physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy

Feel Appreciated November 1-7, 2011!

The first week of November is National Allied Health Professionals Week, and honors the contributions of therapists from coast to coast. To physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists in the U.S., therapist staffing agency, Travel Force Staffing, says ‘Thank you, for the skill and high training you bring to your therapy jobs in all 50 states!’

Your healthcare staffing agency provides therapy career resources that help allied health professionals keep up with the extraordinary job gains predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, who, in 2006, predicted 4 million new health care jobs that are still on a steady climb—and forecasted to keep on growing until 2016!

Travel Therapy Jobs Are Just One Way to Increase Allied Health Awareness

For patients in need of rehabilitative care, there can be no greater contribution than sharing your talents as a therapist in a wide variety of healthcare settings that travel therapy jobs provide. Remember that allied healthcare professionals and the travel therapists among them constitute approximately 60% of caregivers in American healthcare today—so make sure you get the word out about your large and invaluable presence in the medical community! Since travel therapists encounter many different people with an interest in what they do, be sure to sponsor an activity, like a pot-luck, sports game or raffle that generates proceeds and honors local therapists.

Helping Give Talented SLPs, PTs and OTs Their Due

Working in a therapy career, though challenging, means your chosen road is high paying, incredibly rewarding and recession proof! Bookmark our physical therapy certification page to learn more about advancing your PT career.

Are you an ambitious occupational therapist looking to make your mark? Read this related blog about your therapy career’s boundless opportunities and high wages. We may also be the perfect fit for a newly graduated speech language pathologist, hunting for a lucrative CFY job—or ultimate speech language pathology job.

What Are You Waiting For? Call Travel Force Staffing Now!

Because we are affiliated with America’s best hospitals and offer free private housing and bonuses as part of a generous benefits package, all our rehab jobs put physical therapists within reach of a six-figure salary. It’s as easy as calling 1-800-617-0608; or, simply apply online! But between clicks, take the time to bask in your achievements this week, as a valued member of America’s allied healthcare workforce!

10 Reasons to Switch to Travel Therapy Jobs

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 08.25.2011 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, Continuing Education Units (CEU), Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapist Education, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Rehab Careers, Travel Therapist, Travel physical therapy jobs, physical therapist licensing, physical therapy, physical therapy job questions, rehabilitation therapy, therapy job bonus

Allied healthcare professionals, drawn to new cultures, climates and the travel done in between, covet high paying occupational and physical therapy jobs offered by prestigious staffing agencies. If you’re looking to take your therapy career to the next level, one that offers a competitive salary, free luxury private housing and more, please do read on!

Checklist: 10 Reasons to Switch to Travel Therapy Jobs

1. Travel therapy jobs let your inner-traveler go beyond guidebooks: Sites and attractions are to be enjoyed at your sole discretion and leisure. It’s not like you’re the average tourist, trying to cram everything into one vacation.
2. Staffing consultants work closely with every therapist. Thanks to VIP customer care, you tailor your own therapist career, living where you want, working the hours that suit you best.
3. Continuing Education is free. Advance in your therapist career from the comfort of your laptop. We have hundreds of online classes to choose from! See some of the  Free CE online courses
4. These therapy jobs are flexible! If you fall in love with a city during your therapy job, you can easily arrange to extend that position or find a permanent therapist job in your desired city.
5. Free private housing is located in a prime location. Live in apartments with amenities that encourage exercise (i.e. pools and gyms) and are either very close to your travel therapy job or located next to public transportation.
6. Get a bonus when you refer a therapist! Be sure to refer a colleague who loves the idea of a travel therapist lifestyle too.  See current travel therapy jobs bonuses.
7. Company matched 401(k) and travel reimbursements come with every travel therapy job. Once you peruse the Travel Force benefits package, you’ll want to sign on!
8. Accepting a travel therapy job means lightening your load. A consultant handles the particulars; the only thing you must do is ace your job interview, pack your belongings and get on the road. Deciding what the essentials are rids your life of clutter. See basic travel therapy job documentation needed to get started
9. Making plans for your future has never been this fun. Formulate a list of “Must-See places” before embarking on your new therapy career. Cram your glove compartment with maps and guidebooks. It’s a great opportunity for graduate physical therapists coming out of college.
10. You build confidence by working in more than just one facility. Increase your ability to adapt, acclimate and thrive in travel therapy jobs.

Travel Force Staffing Professionals Help You Learn to Travel Light

Allied healthcare professionals love travel therapy jobs because they are flexible, challenging, and offer great career benefits and pay when compared to permanent positions. Travel therapy jobs allow you to be the architect of where you work and for how long—rest assured our SLP jobs, physical and occupational therapy jobs are in America’s best hospitals; 80% of our affiliates appear in a top rated list, published consistently in U.S. News & World Report. Remember our checklist of why becoming a travel therapist is a brilliant move. You want to travel light, even if a decision like this is seldom made lightly—that is exactly why you need an expert staffing agency to help you take the plunge.

Travel Force Staffing provides recruitment solutions for America’s top rated rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient and Rehab centers, skilled nursing facilities, and private therapy practices located in all 50 U.S. states. Our experienced team of staffing experts place physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, surgical technologists and per diem staff and other allied healthcare professionals into therapy careers nationwide. Contact us today at 800-617-0608 for instant access to cutting edge recruitment technology, therapy career resources, news, and information.

Occupational Therapy Jobs Surge in States with Enacted Autism Insurance Reform

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 06.22.2011 | Category Allied Healthcare, Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Rehab Careers, Top Therapy Blogs, Travel Therapist, physical therapy

Occupational therapy jobs are in higher demand in 26 states, thanks to new legislation that requires health insurers to cover screening, diagnosis and treatment for autism spectrum disorders—heartening news for OTs treating patients with problems processing sensory input. Researchers estimate that 8 out of 10 autistic children suffer from Sensory Processing Disorder; with more affordable and expansive health care treatments and options, occupational therapy is more effective in lowering these statistics.

Autism Insurance Reform Bill a Win - Win for More Than Just Occupational Therapists

For parents, autism insurance reform eliminates the critical choice between keeping finances stable and seeking quality treatment; this bill lets them have both, ensuring that Medicaid and public schools are not the only form of reimbursement for families struggling to meet treatment costs. States to enact the autism insurance reform bill require insurance companies to include, as part of care, routine toddler screenings, behavioral health treatments, speech therapy, occupational and physical therapy, as well as other allied healthcare services that seek to benefit the 1 in every 115 children diagnosed with autism in the United States today. Insurance reform is expected to help these individuals better afford out-patient care, Applied Behavior Analysis, and protect against wrongful termination of health benefits. Patients helped by this reform may also expect shorter waits for optional, but beneficial treatments.

Looking for Therapy Jobs in States that Promote Advocacy and Increased Awareness?

Sought after, high paying travel occupational therapy jobs from coast to coast are part of this ground-breaking reform, in California, Virginia and New Jersey to name a few. Call 1-800-617-0608 or apply online today. Our recruiters align your talents with an ideal occupational therapy career in healthcare facilities synonymous with excellent care—for autism, and wide range of disorders requiring the high-level clinical training and expertise you know you can provide.  Apply today!

Footnote: Find out more about Autism Reform Law in your state by visiting the Autism Votes official website; here therapists will find an initiative map detailing which states have enacted this positive law. Valuable information on your community’s Autism Speaks Chapter Advocacy Chair is also available. Archived material on the Travel Force blog is also a great career resource! Learn more about the exciting challenges and rewards of an occupational therapy career and how it helps patients with autism and sensory processing disorder by clicking on the links provided.

Better Speech and Hearing Month Does More Than Raise Awareness About Communication Disorders

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 05.10.2011 | Category Allied Healthcare, Fun Events, Locations, Monthly Events, Speech Language Pathologist, Speech and Hearing Month - May, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Rehab Careers, Top Therapy Blogs, Travel Therapist

Now in its 76th year, Better Speech and Hearing Month (BSHM) is doing its part to raise awareness in patients of all ages, living with communication disorders that affect speaking, understanding or hearing. In the last few years, over 40 million Americans have been diagnosed with deficiencies as a result of these issues, and rely on speech language pathologists to improve their quality of life.

This Better Speech and Hearing Month, Find Ways to Educate the General Public

According to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, nearly a third of the 28 million people with reported hearing loss are American youth. Thanks to the intervention and dedication of speech language pathologists, these children are far less likely to suffer from learning problems down the road. Make part of your SLP job, promoting awareness of what causes induced hearing loss in teens and encourage your adolescent patients to “turn it down!” when they listen to their iPods and TV.

Experienced SLPs Work in the Nation’s #1 Rehab Hospitals!

Ready to take your career to new heights? Speech language pathologists can expect to earn the highest compensation including generous pay, benefits and bonuses.  Work in America’s best rehabilitation hospitals and more:

• Nationwide Hospitals, University Teaching Hospitals
• Outpatient Centers, Rehab Centers & Clinics
• Skilled Nursing Facilities, Home Health & More

Find the perfect speech language pathology jobs and best possible career fit with Travel Force Staffing.

This May, Clinical Fellows Also Find the Perfect Jobs for Budding SLP Careers!

If you’re a recent grad looking for CFY jobs, check into Travel Force’s #1 blog for the answer to FAQs regarding Clinical Fellow Year Jobs. It’s the perfect Month “to spring into action”!

Travel Force Staffing places speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, per diem staff, and other allied healthcare professionals into therapy careers nationwide. Contact us today for instant access to cutting edge recruitment technology, therapy career resources, news, and information. Call 1-800-617-0608 or apply online today for your chance to enjoy a generous company-matched 401(k), reimbursement for travel and more!

Learn More About BSHM Resources

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has published free BSHM resources for 2011. Check out these and other methods of spreading awareness, some highlights of which include displaying a special calendar in your office for May that features one SLP fact per day, and visiting your local library to encourage a display of speech and hearing books that celebrate BSHM. But when May is over, there’s no reason to stop promoting better speech and hearing! For those speech language pathologists working close to Alabama SLP jobs, mark your calendars for June, when Helen Keller’s birthplace in Tuscumbia, Alabama, holds its annual Hellen Keller festival, celebrating her positive impact on the lives of the deaf-blind around the world. If you’re a travel therapist who can make the trip, it’s an experience you’ll never forget!

Top iPad Medical Apps might be reshaping healthcare

Author Healthcare Jobs Blogger | 05.04.2011 | Category Allied Healthcare, Apple iPad, Career Tips, Gadgets, Occupational Therapy, Product Reviews, Respiratory Therapy, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Therapy Blogs, Travel Gadget, Travel Nurse Blog, Travel Therapist, iPad Apps, physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy

We want to know if you’re currently using iPad medical apps to boost your therapist job knowledge, surf the web for therapy jobs or advance patient care delivery.

You see a fellow physical or occupational therapist, PTA, OTA, or DPT using the technology to access drug databases and anatomical diagrams in seconds. To upload point-of-care therapies in a click and download healthcare education ‘apps’ for the price of an early bird dinner. Practical and affordable, the potential for iPads to improve patient care is endless.

How has the iPad improved your therapy career?

If you’re currently using an iPad on the job, CHIME IN by responding to this post and letting us know how the technology has benefited your therapist career – we want to share it with the world. Furthermore, we want to know if you’re not using one and why, or if you’ve got ideas for iPad therapy job applications which you feel may benefit the profession

Top iPad Medical apps reshaping healthcare

1. AirStrip OB: Free medical app to help occupational therapists and other medical jobs professionals monitor a baby’s symptoms remotely. Used in tandem with the patient, this healthcare app can reduce trips to the hospital. Additionally, AirStrip comes with cardiology medical apps, imaging and critical care iPad healthcare applications.
2. Blausen Human Atlas: Remember how anatomy captivated you as a youth? It helped you learn and understand your own body? Available for less than $20, the Human Atlas offers the therapy jobs professional comprehensive clinical content on every body system. 3-D animations empower therapists to show their patients what’s going on with their bodies. The atlas is used to play 3D animations and explore 3D models.
3. Davis’s Drug Guide: What occupational and physical therapists need to know about drugs. Fast, easy and at your fingertips. Absolutely indispensable for rehabilitation jobs specialists and professionals on the path to therapist careers success. Free updates with yearly subscription.
4. Diagnosaurus DDx: A powerful diagnosis tool from the medical apps dollar menu. That’s right, for about $0.99 you get an easy healthcare reference system that offers information on a number of diseases and conditions. This healthcare app is fat free!
5. ECG Guide: Another handy dollar menu iPad medical app item. The ECG Guide is your tour book to  regular and abnormal ECGs.  For $0.99 therapy jobs candidates get a “one up” on the lessons of ECG diagnosis.
6. Epocrates: FREE and reliable, Epocrates is the #1 mobile drug reference resource used by healthcare providers at the point of care. Trusted for accuracy and cutting-edge offerings, doctors, RNs and therapist job professionals choose Epocrates as a preferred point of care drug reference.
7. Eponyms: Put simply, an eponym is a name of a drug, structure or disease based on or derived from the name of a person. When looking up medical terms, this FREE healthcare app comes in handy, especially for therapist career grads and undergrads. Doctor of Physical Therapy jobs practitioners find it comes in handy too!
8. Human Body 3D Anatomy: This medical iPad healthcare application acts as an anatomy refresher when it’s time to brush up on what’s connected to the knee bone.  It’s about the price of a bagel and coffee and relies on 3D technologies to bring anatomy to life.
9. iAnatomy: View cross sections of the body and actual CT scans on this iPad medical app – complete with images of cadavers and helpful cataloguing. For therapist career professionals who need to compare scans regularly iAnatomy comes cheaper than a cup of coffee.
10. iRadiology: Therapists review radiology concepts and images with this FREE healthcare app ideal for students, interns, residents and veteran therapy job practitioners.
11. MedCalc: Need to figure dosing? This FREE iPad medical app does the work for you. Handy for advanced therapy jobs professionals charged with administering drug therapies. No more having to remember formulas. Quick, easy reliable healthcare application.
12. Medical Lab Tests: Evaluate lab results quickly with this iPad healthcare app that cost about the price of a decent bottle of olive oil. Review normal lab values, including more than 100 blood tests.
13. Medical Spanish: For the price of a Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast, you can learn basic Spanish phrases to improve communication with non-English speaking patient groups. The medical apps audio component helps you work on proper pronunciation.
14. Medscape: A staple in any electronic healthcare apps library, Medscape is trusted, FREE and invaluable on rounds when you need a medical reference fast. This medical iPad app features breaking medical news and the latest procedures.
15. MedSpeak: Communicate in Mandarin or Cantonese with this iPad medical application for about $15 bucks. Time tested, user friendly and indispensable for candidates in search of therapy jobs with healthcare employers in urban settings.
16. iMeds XL: For about the price of a large popcorn at the movies therapist career professionals can search by drug name or class for information on prescription interactions, side effects and dosing.
17. Monthly Prescribing Reference: Another FREE medical app that helps with prescription interactions and over the counter drugs.
18. Pedi STAT: For about three bucks therapists working with kids gain insights on symptoms, normal growth and essential pediatrics information.
19. Skyscape’s Medical Bag: Clinical tools, medical calculators and lab tests on the go for $1.99 –cheaper than a Starbucks Latte. Not so much for therapist job practitioners, but it’s so cheap why not have it available.
20. Skyscape RxDrugs Dosing Companion: FREE, FREE, FREE healthcare app to figure out dosing for thousands of generic and brand name medications.

iPads and their medical apps are catching on fast in the therapy jobs marketplace. In fact, having one may improve your marketability as a therapist jobs candidate.

Travel Force Staffing provides recruitment solutions for America’s top rated rehabilitation hospitals , outpatient and Rehab centers, skilled nursing facilities, and private therapy practices located in all 50 U.S. states. Our experienced team of staffing experts place physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, surgical technologists and per diem staff and other allied healthcare professionals into therapy careers nationwide. Contact us today at 800-617-0608 for instant access to cutting edge recruitment technology, therapy career resources, news, and information.

Related iPad App blogs

Good iPad app for Physical therapy students

• Electronic Text Books
• Occupational Therapists iPad App

Healthcare Careers booming for the best and brightest

Author Healthcare Jobs Blogger | 03.15.2011 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Rehab Careers, Top Therapy Blogs, Travel Nurse Blog, Travel Therapist, Travel physical therapy jobs, physical therapy, physical therapy job questions, rehabilitation therapy

Labor Bureau says healthcare jobs are good for employment. Staffing experts say well educated rehabilitation candidates are in high demand.

The healthcare industry is expected to generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs through 2018. Healthcare careers for physical therapists and occupational therapists will grow faster than average and demand for Speech Language Pathologists, physical therapy assistant jobs , medical technologists and technicians will surpass all other occupations.* Great news for healthcare employers and candidates alike.

Though healthcare career websites tout a rosy outlook for healthcare jobs, not everyone will qualify. Advanced credentials and years of experience will likely move to the front of the therapy jobs line.  Next will be high academic achievers and flexible candidates willing to relocate.

A healthcare career is viable, satisfying and lucrative. Do you have what it takes?

Healthcare employers will expect competency and accountability from the next wave of healthcare job seekers. Some will test for proficiency after hire while others track caregiver performance via workforce metrics, electronic health records and patient surveys.  A working knowledge of healthcare information technologies will be required of most.

Take for example physical therapy jobs, said Mary Kay Hull, Vice President of Recruitment with Travel Force Staffing. In just a few short years a DPT or Doctorate of Physical Therapy will be required to enter this profession. This means years of sacrifice and study for beginners to achieve Graduate Employment. For working professionals wanting to get ahead; self discipline, perseverance and hours of burning the midnight oil.  Without a DPT in five years, the marketability of a physical therapist may sorely diminish.

Occupational therapy jobs call for a breadth of job knowledge. From cognitive constructs in CAMFC-TBI (Computer Adaptive Measure of Functional Cognition for TBI) to quickly evolving treatments aimed at children, productive aging and disabilities, occupational therapy jobs require accurate, often computer assisted cognitive assessments, a mastery of human behavior and a familiarity with social constructs.

Demand for multilingual Speech-Language Pathologists is on the rise. With globalization touching all aspects of American life - and millions of immigrants gaining access to healthcare for the first time via reform - English-speaking speech language pathologists fluent in Mandarin, Korean, Arabic and Spanish will experience a heightened sense of marketability in coming years.

Similar to physical and occupational therapy jobs and speech language pathologists; medical technicians and technologists will need to continually prove their worth in the workplace.  To this end, Travel Force Staffing suggests healthcare job candidates speak to a therapy jobs recruiter to enhance marketability and successfully target healthcare employers.  Call 800.617.0608 or apply online.

Learn about:

• Therapy Jobs Benefits

• Therapy Career Options

• Physical Therapy Jobs FAQs

• Travel Therapy Jobs Documentation

Travel Force Staffing^TM provides recruitment solutions for America’s top rated rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient and Rehab centers, skilled nursing facilities, and private therapy practices located in all 50 U.S. states. Our experienced team of staffing experts place physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, per diem staff and other allied healthcare professionals into therapy careers nationwide. Contact us today for instant access to cutting edge recruitment technology, therapy career resources, news, and information.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Are You a Speech Language Pathology Grad Looking for Top CFY Jobs?

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 10.07.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, CFY, Career Tips, How To's, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Top Rehab Careers, Travel Therapist, Traveling Therapist

Find Clinical Fellowship Year Jobs now and start the therapy career you’ve been waiting for!

At Travel Force Staffing, our recruitment experts are poised to deliver career resources that guide speech language pathologists in achieving just about anything. Highly successful allied healthcare professionals who benefit from our services know how critical a Clinical Fellowship Year job (CFY) is in the beginning stages of a therapy career, and encourage those just starting out in SLP jobs to use our wealth of health marketplace information for the answers they seek.

Q: How do I find high-paying CFY jobs?

A: First step is to register online and complete an application today! Candidates who work with Travel Force gain access to career options in their chosen field, enjoying top pick and pay in facilities that include hospitals, outpatient centers and clinics. Just like any other full-time therapy job, Travel Force CFY jobs come with a generous benefits package.

As a Clinical Fellow and valuable member of the Travel Force family, you will acquire invaluable experience in rehabilitation hospitals, recognized year-after-year as the nation’s best in U.S. News & World Report. Travel Force ensures placement in facilities that provide SLPs with mentors—in other words, licensed speech language pathologists who serve as guides while you acclimate yourself to new procedures. And better yet? At Travel Force, Clinical Fellows enjoy the added security of client support services anytime they need it.

Before advancing in your speech language pathologist career, therapists must grow professionally—exponentially—in a CFY job. If you’re in your last year of graduate school and ready to complete supervised clinical training from a certified SLP, Travel Force can match you to a healthcare facility that needs your talent, STAT!

What are you waiting for? Get ready for your training in the perfect CFY job—one that lets you integrate what you learned in school with clinical on-the-job practice. Apply today for a high income CFY job at Travel Force.

We’ll see you soon!

Speech Language Pathologists are Hearing a lot about Noise - Induced Hearing Loss in Teens

Author Therapy Career Blogger | 09.08.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, How to Tips, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, rehabilitation therapy

Get hearing loss prevention tips (for every age!) here

Speech language pathologists know that the slightest degree of hearing loss can affect language development and learning; of course, these therapists would rather see lower statistics on this, than a packed waiting room at the Rehabilitation Hospital where hearing problems—usually in one ear and growing steadily worse—are the health issue du jour among teenaged patients.

For those in Speech Language Pathologist Jobs, a recent study conducted by the American Medical Association is grabbing notice. The study compared national surveys from the early 90s up to the mid 2000s and showed one in five teens, age 12 to 19, have some degree of hearing loss.

Hearing Loss Cause

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss is largely to blame, with the ipod and MP3s—hot commodities among young consumers—cited as a contributing factor. Speech language pathologists believe it is not uncommon for teens to underestimate how much noise they are exposed to, dismissing their music as anything but (noise).

The study’s research, due to appear in the Journal of The American Medical Association is discussed in a recently publicized article at the American-Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), an excellent resource for conscientious speech language pathologists.

Their concern makes perfect sense. Because this problem affects the community at a family level, it’s worth providing hearing loss prevention tips to the general public, as well as practitioners of speech language pathology. In the past, in honor of May, Better Speech and Hearing Month, we’ve provided information that helps the individual determine if he’s suffering from hearing loss; this post hopes to nip it in the bud.

Travel Force uses its blog and other resources to help speech language pathologists stay one step ahead of current trends in the healthcare marketplace—our quick links to Speech Therapy Associations in every state, is worth your bookmark. We strongly suggest you sign up to receive regular updates from the speech therapy association in your state of employ. ASHA is likewise committed to providing refreshers, like this one, on safe noise levels for the general public.

Hearing loss prevention tips

A good rule of thumb is to keep any source of noise no higher than 85 decibels (dB), and be advised that portable music players can produce sound far above that level, capable of ranges from 60 to 120 decibels. The result of turning the volume of an ipod approximately one-quarter of the way up is about 85dB—a noise level that doesn’t lead to hearing loss, provided listeners limit their time using this and similar devices. Even at full volume, listeners using digital music players can safely enjoy one or two songs at a time.

The following are time frames spent at certain noise levels and what they are equivalent to:

• 12 hrs @ 85dB - (equivalent to motor boat)
• 8 hrs @ 90dB - (equivalent to lawnmower)
• 4 hrs @ 95dB - (equivalent to motorcycle)
• 2 hrs @ 100dB - (equivalent to snowmobile)
• 1 hr @ 105 dB - (equivalent to chain saw)
• 30 min @ 110 dB - (equivalent to rock concert, arcade)
• 15 min @ 115 dB - (equivalent to movie theater, health clubs)

Speech language pathologists know how important it is to make a lasting impression on the general public, by reminding them that no age group is immune to Noise-Induced Hearing Loss; it affects some 30 million people, the majority of whom damage their hearing while at work.

Already, 10 million Americans have permanently damaged their hearing. Before it’s 10 million and one, pass on hearing loss prevention tips that impact speech language pathology jobs; apply online or call 800-617-0608 today. You could make a difference worth shouting about… just keep your enthusiasm at the right decibel!

Rehabilitation Hospital Stays: Brief but Highly Effective

Author Healthcare Jobs Blogger | 08.13.2010 | Category Allied Healthcare, Career Tips, Occupational Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapist Jobs, Therapy Jobs, Tidbits, Travel Therapist, Traveling Therapist, physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy

Expecting to make a complete recovery means patients and caregivers give 100% to rehab team

The purpose of inpatient rehab is, of course, to help the patient regain functions lost because of injury and illness, stemming from stroke, brain, various neurological conditions, recovery from orthopedic surgery, or spinal cord dysfunction.

Patient participation in the healing process is as critical as physical therapy is—yet perhaps the biggest challenge in an inpatient rehabilitation hospital stay is its brevity, averaging just 38 days for serious conditions.

Physical and occupational therapists are on task immediately, interviewing patients about their lifestyle and home environment, so they can customize a rehab treatment plan. Before the patient lands in the care of a PT, OT, or other specialist, chances are they were in a community hospital—an environment quite different from a rehab facility.

Rehab Professionals set the pace in patient’s recovery

Once a patient is matched with the right level of rehabilitative care, doctors, nurses and others in rehab jobs must help patients adjust to a radically changed pace in treatment and expectations. While hospitals manage nearly every aspect of a patient’s care, the rehab facility places most of patient recovery squarely in the hands of the patient. The patient must be committed to working hard with therapists, even if they find physical therapy grueling—a tall order considering that rehabilitation hospitals ensure patients receive and benefit from several hours of occupational and physical therapy daily, usually five days a week.

Insurers, like Medicare and Medicaid mandate patient participation, and may cut benefits if they fail to make enough progress. Since this is the last thing physical therapists and other specialists want to see happen, they help things along much as possible, providing the following in patient care:

• A smooth transition from community hospital to rehab hospital
• Pain management
• Physical therapy that helps patient regain independent function on all daily activities of life
• Motivation and emotional support
• Feedback to patient’s loved ones

A Positive Attitude + Increased Patient Involvement = Positive Rehab Experience

A good attitude is essential if the patient is to progress in daily physical therapy sessions and, depending on his or her condition or illness, expanded treatment that may include gait training and speech therapy.

What changes in the move from acute hospital care to Inpatient Rehab Facility:

• visiting hours
• meals
• learning names and roles of a new health care team
• noise level
• amount of privacy

Case Managers and patient’s family a critical part of recovery

Case Managers will also coordinate care at the inpatient rehab hospital, assisting in the design of specific programs that help patients regain their independence; also involved are the patient’s family and caregivers who may be expected to:

• Fetch comfortable clothing
• Attend team meetings to assess progress
• Participate in meeting set deadline for rehab goal
• Serve as a link to the community and outside world

Excellent Teamwork follows the patient home

Caregivers and family will continue to play an active role in the patient’s life after discharge from the Rehab hospital; they provide transportation to medical and therapy appointments, pick up and administer medications, help the patient in the bathroom, fix meals, adhere to an exercise schedule, as well as deal with financial issues incurred during the rehab process.

Without good nurses and excellent home health, creating a safe environment in the patient’s home would be next to impossible, but thanks to a talented rehab team, coupled with the patient’s strong will to get back to normal, anything and everything that’s good lies in wait.

Travel Force offers over 20 years of hospital and rehab staffing; placing physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists in permanent and temporary positions in top-rated rehab hospitals and healthcare facilities across the U.S. Joint Commission certified, Travel Force provides staffing services to Outpatient Rehab Centers, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Sub Acute Settings, and university teaching facilities. Make a positive change in someone’s life today. Apply online for physical therapy jobs!