Skip to main content

Meredith Castin, PT, DPT, was tired of "being expected to be 3 places at 1 time," then having multiple parties express frustration with her when she failed to do the physically impossible.

Burnout

There also was the psychological toll of constantly being outed in what therapy staff called "the log of shame"—a ledger in which they were required to list their billable units at the end of each day. If they hadn't met the hospital's productivity requirements, they had to explain why they'd failed to do so. Housed in the charting alcove, the log was readily accessible to every physical therapist (PT), occupational therapist, and physical therapist assistant (PTA)—who thus could see which individuals were making the performance grade and which weren't.

Never mind that the southern California PT's productivity was compromised by multiple factors outside her control, such as being scheduled to work in different units simultaneously, having insufficient time to document, needing to remember ever-changing entry codes on doors, and having constantly to walk back and forth among units.

Log in or create a free account to keep reading.


Join APTA to get unlimited access to content.

  1. Castin A. Physical therapy burnout is destroying our profession (blogpost). http://covalentcareers.com/blog/physical-therapy-burnout/. Accessed November 1, 2018.
  2. Berry J. Occupational burnout in physical therapy: clinical implications and strategies for reduction. http://www.fsbpt.org/Portals/0/documents/free-resources/Spring2018ForumOccupationalBurnoutinPhysicalTherapy.pdf. Accessed November 1, 2018.
  3. Jette DU. Physical therapist student loan debt. Phys Ther. 2016;96(11):1685-1688.
  4. Tepper DE. How to cope with health care education costs. PT in Motion. 2014;6(2):34-43.

You Might Also Like...

Article

Proposed FY ’26 SNF and IRF Rules: Payment Increases, Roll Back of SDOH Items

Apr 23, 2025

Skilled nursing facilities could see a 2.8% payment increase and inpatient rehabilitation facilities could see a 2.6% boost beginning in October 2025 if

News

A Tribute to Worthingham Fellow Christine McDonough, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Apr 22, 2025

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our colleague and friend, Christine McDonough, PT, PhD, FAPTA, on Dec. 18, 2024. Christine was

News

APTA Releases 2024 Annual Report

Apr 15, 2025

Now available: the 2024 APTA Annual Report, a snapshot of some of the association's biggest accomplishments in 2024, from two major wins in Medicare payment