Skip to main content

Like most physical therapists (PTs), Chris Studebaker, PT, DPT, has never witnessed or been a victim of workplace violence. He has, however, encountered many irate patients and is well aware of the potential for violence.

Feature Violence

Studebaker, national therapy and athletic trainer lead at Concentra Medical Centers in Charleston, South Carolina, and a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy, provides onsite physical therapist services to employees at a major manufacturing plant. Such sessions typically go off without a hitch, but sometimes that's only because he's talked the patient down.

"It's usually because they're upset with the system," he explains. "They might feel slighted by the workers' comp process or maybe just the way their employer is handling it. They come in to see me and they're angry as a hornet." As a PT treating in the workplace, he's "smack dab in the middle" of any potential conflict, Studebaker notes. "Sometimes they see me as an extension of their boss," he adds, "so, if they're unhappy about something related to their case, they might bring that animosity into their interaction with me."

Log in or create a free account to keep reading.


Join APTA to get unlimited access to content.

  1. US Government Accountability Office. Workplace Safety and Health: Additional Efforts Needed to Help Protect Health Care Workers from Workplace Violence. https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-11. Accessed April 17, 2017.
  2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3148.pdf. Accessed April 17, 2017.
  3. Fifth International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector. (Program.) http://www.oudconsultancy.nl/congresses/dublin_5_ICWV/violence/program-fifthint.html. Accessed April 17, 2017.

You Might Also Like...

News

Senate Introduces Companion Legislation To Help Patients Avoid Interruptions

Jul 10, 2025

If enacted, PTs across the country would be allowed to secure substitute care for patients during an absence.

Article

Proposed 2026 Home Health Rule: Implementation of PDGM Leads to 6.4% Cut

Jul 9, 2025

In this review: Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update; Requirements for the HH Quality

News

APTA Advocates Against Anthem's Policy for Reporting Timed Units

Jul 9, 2025

APTA urges the insurer to revise the policy and has created a template letter for members to add their voices to the advocacy effort.