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

New Study Reimagines the Relationship Between Daily Steps and Health Outcomes

Sep 3, 2025

For decades, 10,000 steps a day has been regarded as a near-universal benchmark for fitness and general health goals — often promoted by wearable fitness

News

Congress Is Back in Town: 5 Things to Watch on Capitol Hill in September

Sep 2, 2025

In July, APTA and other provider groups secured a 2.5% funding increase from Congress to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2026. While this was a

News

October Is National Physical Therapy Month: See How APTA Helps You Celebrate

Sep 2, 2025

APTA is recognizing National Physical Therapy Month in October by spotlighting the vital role physical therapy plays in improving movement for people of