Tori Andrew – Physical Therapy Internship

My name is Tori Andrew and I am interning at NovaCare Rehabilitation, which is a physical therapy clinic located in the Wellspan health center at Garden Spot Village. This is my second internship at a physical therapy clinic, and I am still enjoying and learning a lot. My mentor, Janelle Sevilla, is a PTA, and it’s great to be working with her because I will be pursuing a PTA degree. In comparison to my previous internship, NovaCare is a much larger, much busier clinic. They can see upwards of 300 patients in a week, and in the mornings, there are probably 2-3 physical therapists, two PTAs, and two PT aides working (as well as front desk staff).

My primary responsibilities when I’m working are similar to those of the aides, which include cleaning tables/exam rooms, restocking the linen bins, getting hot packs and stim for patients, bringing patients back from the waiting room, and assisting the clinicians. My only limitation is that I’m not able to touch patients (i.e. remove stim when their time is up). However, a unique opportunity I have at this internship is the ability to work closely with the patients. Many of the clinicians can be double or triple booked with patients, and often they will give me a flow sheet and ask me to work with a patient as they move through their exercises. I have also learned how to float around and notice when a patient is done with something and is ready to move on, and I’ve learned enough to be able to glance at their chart and prompt them with something else.

Another unique aspect of NovaCare is that they have aquatic therapy. There is a pool room with an underwater treadmill and extra space for patients who need low impact, low-stress therapy. I’ve learned how to operate the treadmill, and it’s interesting for me to see how therapy can be adapted to the water. All of the staff, not just my mentor, has been great about “teachable moments” with me and pulling me over to explain something that they’re doing. I’ve been able to learn a lot about why they do certain exercises and a lot about the process of rehab as a whole. There’s even a clinician who is alumni from the college I’ll be attending, so it’s been great to work with him and almost get a glimpse into my future.

Overall, I have been having a very positive experience at NovaCare. I feel as if I’m part of the clinic, and I’ve really been able to get to know a lot of the patients I work with. My internship has 100% been enforcing my career goals, especially since I am more hands-on this time around. I am (very confidently) going to be attending the California University of Pennsylvania for an associate’s degree in PTA.