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

APTA Advocacy Drives Bipartisan Action on Postpartum Pelvic Health Legislation

May 12, 2026

APTA advocacy is driving renewed congressional attention to postpartum pelvic health physical therapy as lawmakers now in both chambers of Congress introduce

Article

More Than 3,500 Board-Certified Physical Therapists Honored at APTA CSM 2026

May 11, 2026

APTA's ceremony highlighted newly certified and recertified specialists and the growing impact of board certification across the profession.

Article

Payment Advocacy Takes Center Stage During APTA Capitol Hill Day

May 5, 2026

APTA members gather in front of the U.S. Capitol during APTA Capitol Hill Day. More than 250 APTA members came to Washington, D.C., with a shared message