why isn't there a cpt code for hugs and smiles?

This past week marks my 4-month mark of being an occupational therapist.  I have grown so much in the last four months, and I feel I have made a difference, not only in individual patients, but with how this retirement community and the medical staff look at occupational therapy!

Now instead of trying to make it through one day without crying... I am trying to even remember the last time I couldn't hold myself together at work.  PROGRESS.

Now instead of stopping to ask my manager, the office coordinator, or other therapists questions all the time, I actually KNOW most of the answers, can use common sense or look things up... or just only ask every now and then. ;)

Now instead of scrambling to manage my own moderate-sized caseload at one building, I am managing (almost) THREE caseloads at three buildings, and I regularly supervise a COTA at one of the sites.

Now instead of bashfully approaching the CNAs, RNs, activity staff, or social worker with questions or recommendations for a patient, I know almost everyone by name, and can confidently approach them with updates about a resident.  Bonus: Nearly everyone knows MY name and approaches ME all the time without me having to pursue follow up.

Now instead of freaking out about having a call a patient's spouse, child, or POA, I dive into the conversation, stand up for my "clinical opinion", and get high off of nods of understanding (if in person) or the occasional "thank you".

Now instead of worrying whether the facility staff even "like" me... I regularly get complimented on not only being "likeable", but approachable, innovative, and creative with my programs.  This is seeming to lead to a nearly constant influx of referrals from nursing, thus keeping me employed and busy. :)

Now instead of worrying about how I'm just gonna make it through a 60-minute treatment with a difficult case,  my patients don't want to be discharged because they don't want to "lose" me, or are afraid of losing what they'd gained in therapy.

Now instead of feeling like I'm always walking into a sea of strangers, I wave at, hug, and chat with former patients (or residents who I haven't even had on caseload!) and feel like I have a second family.

 It is AMAZING how much things have changed in my short stint of being a big-time clinician.  I think when you are forced into a really difficult situation, even if you're in way over your head you can adapt to it and figure it out.

I have SO much more to learn. I am still so SLOW at everything with my job.  But then I remember that I didn't study for two years and work through challenging clinicals to be a "fast" worker.  I trained to be an ethical, evidence-based, client-centered clinician.  I have to remind myself that learning to balance time management with good practice is an advanced skill that I'm not going to suddenly figure out tomorrow, or next month.  If I have to choose one area to focus the most energy on- it's got to be the good practice.  I owe it to myself, my patients, and my company to do the absolute best job that I can, not the fastest.  It's hard to remember that when this industry places so much value on time and money.

At the end of the day, I just can't put a price tag on those things I mentioned above.  I might not get reimbursed for hugs, but health care without the "care" isn't worth a penny in my book.

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Excited to link up with Medical Mondays today!  I haven't linked up for a few months but I am excited to be back and try the blogging thing again... now with a little more experience under my belt, and a little bit more settled in my home, my career, and my routine since when I started.  Though I haven't posted in quite some time... know that I still frequently check up on a several of the medical-related blogs on here that I "follow", so I have been very sneakily still keeping ties!

A little background: I am a 20-something, "new" occupational therapist working in geriatrics for a large national rehab company, learning to navigate the real world of health care (not the fake one with unlimited time, resources, and overflowing "evidence" like we are taught in school...).  I have very few friends who are connected to the medical field/health care... one of whom is the ex-boy (who since transitioned to being one of my best friends), which just adds to the trickiness of figuring out how that whole "love" thing fits into all of this.  And sometimes I just like to write about it. :)



Any words of encouragement, ideas for posts, and motivation for writing a regular basis (like... more than once a month?) would be sooo appreciated!